


the sun sets on our homes

by bertererei



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Assumptions, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-meet-AU AU, Child Soldiers, Foul Language, Found Family, Gen, Light spoilers for manga, Mental/Emotional/Physical Child Abuse, Mild Gore, Misunderstandings, OOC, PTSD, War, Worldbuilding, discrimination against Eldians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 129,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23271472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertererei/pseuds/bertererei
Summary: "... finally the night comes out to say hello." - "Dragon Night" by Sekai no OwariIn one second, Eren is fighting Levi in an effort to save Armin's life. In the next, he finds himself in a world where his parents are alive in exchange for this band on his arm. If there's no way to go back, then how should he go about turning this place into home?Formerly "If You're Under the Age of 19, Please Don't Read This"
Relationships: Eren Yeager & Everyone, Eren Yeager & Zeke, Porco Galliard & Eren Yeager & Marcel Galliard
Comments: 222
Kudos: 415





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: I finally have an idea and a direction of where this story is going to go. ^^ It'll be heavy on worldbuilding and character development. As of now, I have no plans on bothering with the Paradis Mission. In other words, this story will end before it gets to that point. If I ever get the motivation/time for it, I'd like to do the Paradis Mission as a sequel, but right now, I'm not interested.
> 
> Here's the deal. Instead of rewriting _to slay a god,_ I'll give you this story. It'll be neater, and more people will be happy because happy writer = good story = happy reader. That and if I rewrite _to slay a god_ now, it'll end up as a completely different story. In other words, something like this, but not quite for obvious reasons.
> 
> This is a story in which our Eren from canon during the Serum Bowl (so the conclusion hasn't been drawn yet, aka he's still fighting Levi to save Armin) finds himself in the (younger) body of an AU version of himself who is a Warrior Candidate. Super far-fetched, right? Since this entire story hinges on this, if you're not onboard with that, I am begging you to not read this.
> 
> There are light spoilers for the manga. If you know the Attack Titan's ability, you'll be fine. Anything more will most likely be discarded for the sake of this story. So don't worry aside from the basic gist and Marley characters.
> 
> A few things to note about where our Eren ended up. One, Marley has the Attack Titan. Two, Faye never died, so Grisha never joined the Eldian Restorationists. Three, Grisha and Dina met under different circumstances, fell in love, and got married. Due to their differing views on how to raise Zeke, they are divorced with Dina having custody. Four, Carla is in Liberio, hence Eren was born in Liberio. Five, Zeke is a Warrior Candidate along with Eren.
> 
> Warnings: Canon-meet-AU AU. Light spoilers for manga. Multiple character deaths. Found family. Mental/emotional/physical child abuse. Child soldiers. War. Misunderstandings and Assumption. Discrimination against Eldians. Foul language. OOC. OCs. Worldbuilding.
> 
> EDIT2: The fantastic [Alice_BrokenWonderland143](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alice_BrokenWonderland143) created a [beautiful fanart](https://twitter.com/q21_yumeno/status/1355862426927808513?s=21) for this story! Thank you so much for this sweet gift! It's so beautiful that I feel so giddy every time I see it! Everyone, please shower them with love!

"The problem here," Porco says, crossing his arms in front of himself, "is that you two are idiots. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Eren has the decency to look guilty and hangs his head. But Marcel dares to smile at Porco like he's being _cute._ Damn his stupid brother.

"Come on, Porco. Sure, it ended up a little messy. But it wasn't stupid!"

Porco shoots his brother a glare that shuts his mouth up with a loud clack. Yeah, that's right. You have no right to talk, Marcel. Unless it's an apology, Porco doesn't want to hear it.

"It's fine, isn't it? We didn't get in trouble," Eren points out.

That isn't the issue. That is so not the issue and if Eren dares to argue otherwise, Porco is going to kick him.

"Yeah, because you guys blamed it all on Reiner!"

Eren pouts and mutters lowly, "He deserves it."

No, no, no. Just because Reiner ate the blueberry tart that Aunt Faye got for Eren before they left for this mission doesn't make this okay in the slightest. And, again, that's not the issue, now is it?

Porco makes good on his mental promise and kicks Eren. It earns him a whimper of betrayal and puppy-dog eyes from Eren and a startled shout from Marcel that quickly turns into a stern look of disapproval. Porco rolls his eyes at them both.

"Listen. Whether he deserves it or not, you guys can't just dump it all on Reiner like this."

"Why not? Why else do we have him around for?" Marcel asks, even though it's clear from his grin that he knows exactly why that kind of a scummy thing is horrible to do.

"You know damned well!" Porco snaps.

Eren and Marcel exchange a look that makes Porco tense. They're going to team up against him. That much is obvious. What Porco doesn't know is what tactic they'll use this time. Last time, Marcel blackmailed Porco with the story of that time Porco accidentally spilled water on the bed (Yes, he spilled the water! He spilled it. It wasn't anything else!). The time before that, Eren bribed him with the promise of a portion of his dessert (and okay, fine. That one was totally worth it. Porco didn't mind being bribed too much when he got to eat something so delicious). And this one time, they-

Eren hesitantly grabs the corner of Porco's left sleeve. His eyes begin to water as he looks at Porco with too green of eyes. O-oh no. Eren's bottom lip is trembling, and Porco knows, alright? He knows that this is pretend. That Eren is scary good at acting. And this has to be acting, because why else would Eren cry in this context if not to get out of trouble?

"D-don't be mad," Eren stammers, his voice shaking with effort.

Damn it. Damn it.

What good is knowing that this is fake? When he sees Eren about to burst into tears, he caves like a dumbass that he is.

"I-I'm not mad. Just... apologize to Reiner, alright?"

Porco doesn't have to be able to read minds to know what that smirk on Marcel's face means. Laugh all you want now, Marcel. But when Eren locks those teary eyes on him, Porco bets that Marcel will also fold.

That's just how good of an actor Eren is.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Reiner asks as he comes to join them with an amused smile.

The tears that were in Eren's eyes are completely gone as he turns to face Reiner with a bright grin.

"Reiner! You're alright!"

Is... he seriously going to pretend that he didn't set Reiner up to take the blame?

"Of course!" Reiner says proudly. "Don't underestimate me!"

Porco thinks he's supposed to congratulate Reiner for being able to get away from Marley's wrath. But he can't quite bring himself to say so. Not because he's pettily lashing out at Reiner for getting Eren to grin like that (He's not petty. Marcel is. But Porco is a decent human being), but because those words sound suspicious as hell. Out of all the Warrior Candidates, Reiner is the one trailing the furthest at the bottom, even far behind Colt.

So how the hell did he get out of trouble?

"Did you apologize a lot?" Marcel asks, looking as curious as Porco feels.

Reiner chuckles and wags a finger at them like he's chiding them. "It was simple once I thought about it calmly. All I had to do was pass on the blame to Colt."

It takes a second for that to sink in for Porco.

This guy... passed the blame...?

"Smart! Colt struggles to talk to the officers. He won't be able to defend himself," Eren says. He pats Reiner's shoulder, sharing this "success."

"I underestimated you, Reiner," Marcel says. He holds his fist up for a bump.

Reiner preens under the praise like the dumb dog he is. He gladly bumps his fist with Marcel and leans in to Eren's touch.

And these idiots... Are they seriously...?

"No! No, no, no!"

The three turn to Porco in shock as if Porco's the one crazy when they're the ones who got innocent people involved in all of this.

Porco points at Reiner. "What the hell? Why would you throw Colt under the bus? What did he ever do to you?"

He points to his brother next, ignoring Reiner's stuttering defense of himself. "Don't praise this kind of behavior! You're our leader. If you do stuff like that, everyone'll turn rotten!"

Then he jabs his finger at Eren's chest. "Don't you dare cry to get out of this one!"

"All of you!" Porco growls, stomping his foot for emphasis. "Apologize to Colt and learn to be decent humans!"

The three of them stare at Porco with wide eyes. There's a beat of silence before they try to rush to explain themselves. Porco cuts them all off with a snarl.

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Er... P-Porco, it's... okay if they don't apologize to me."

Porco turns towards Colt who gives him a sheepish smile as he approaches them. If this guy is here like this, then there's just one thing that must have happened.

"I didn't get into any trouble because I said Bertolt did it."

Eren snaps his fingers and nods in approval. "Bertolt's too shy to talk back. So that's perfect!"

"Good job," Marcel says, squeezing Colt's shoulder.

Reiner gives him a thumbs up. "Nice!"

Slowly, Porco drops his head in his hands and groans.

"Why are all of you like this...?"

*

"Porco? Are you still sulking?" Eren asks as he pokes Porco's cheek.

"Don't touch me," Porco growls. He slaps Eren's hand away, glaring at him to try to get the point across.

"Yup, definitely sulking," Marcel says with a dramatic sigh. "And here, I was going to give you part of my dessert if you lighten up. But if you're still stuck on that, I guess I'll have to eat yours instead."

"How the hell does that even make any sense?!"

Eren tilts his head to the side for a second before he pulls Porco's cheeks. "Cheer up! Cheer up!"

Porco hates them both, especially when they team up against him. Why the hell is he always the butt of the joke anyways? He pushes Eren away and growls at him to stay back.

"I'd give you mine, but my desserts in the foreseeable future have all been confiscated by Eren," Reiner tells Porco.

Probably because of the blueberry tart incident. Porco would feel pity except all of his emotions have been exhausted by his stupid brother and Eren.

"My family doesn't have the money for desserts," Colt laughs.

No one cares about your family situation, Colt. They've already heard enough about how his uncle betrayed Marley and blah blah blah.

"I don't need your desserts or your pity! Just be decent humans! Why is that so hard for all of you?" Porco yells.

They seem to actually think about that. It makes Porco hopeful. Maybe his words reached them this time. Maybe things will start changing. Maybe Porco can stop screaming his throat hoarse to remind them-

"Look at you being all mature!" Marcel says, ruffling Porco's hair.

In one ear and out the other.

Porco kicks his brother.

*

They see Bertolt at dinner, face pale and slightly trembling. Porco has a half a mind to point and chide his brother and Eren again. But he's late by a fraction of a second.

Eren goes to stand by Bertolt's side, lightly bumping shoulders. When Bertolt glances at him curiously, Eren gives him a small smile. It seems to soothe away Bertolt's nerves. Marcel is only a step behind, moving to lightly tap his fist on Bertolt's chest with a small grin as if to say that he's by Bertolt's side.

Are these guys for real? Are they seriously helping Bertolt out when they're the ones who cheered to learn that Bertolt took on the blame for a prank that they started?

"Wow, they're so nice," Colt says.

And what kills Porco is that it's not sarcastic. Colt honestly believes that Marcel and Eren are being kind.

Porco rubs his temples and ignores Reiner's sniggers.

*

The dinner provided by the Marleys is typical vegetable lasagna. Porco doesn't think that something is wrong until they're given dessert.

"... Cake?" Marcel asks, his eyes surveying the plates of cake slices for all of them.

"With real fruits," Eren notes.

The two exchange a look. Then Eren grins brightly and cheers loudly, showing the Marleys an innocently cute child who is excited about the sweets he gets to eat. Marcel also has an easy smile as he comments about how much he's looking forward to this. Seeing that, the others quickly take on happy smiles and thank their Marleyan superiors.

Porco accepts his own plate with as much enthusiasm as he can muster. But his eyes keep trailing towards Marcel and Eren. Those two keep their smiling masks on as they eat. The only sign that something is off is the smallest of glances that they communicate with their eyes.

They don't glance in Porco's direction at all.

Do they know how much it burns Porco to be excluded like this? Do they even realize that they are in their own little world again?

The cake tastes bitter.

*

Commander Magath greets them while they're finishing up the cakes.

"You will be launching a surprise attack tomorrow in the afternoon. The enemy will be distracted by the main force led by Zeke. So your job is to bring down the head and cause enough of a commotion for our Warriors to overwhelm them."

And for that, they were bribed with cakes? Porco can't help but to think that it's a rather unfair trade.

"Use tonight and tomorrow morning to familiarize yourselves with the layout of the land and any intel on the enemy. Dismissed."

*

"Annie is so lucky she has a fever," Reiner grumbles.

"And Pieck for breaking her arm," Colt adds.

Porco doesn't think either of those are necessarily "lucky," but he agrees with their sentiment. Due to circumstances, the two girls will be kept safe from the barrage of bullets that will doubtlessly rain down on them tomorrow.

"At least we got cake," Eren says.

If that was supposed to be comforting, let Porco be the first to say that it wasn't.

"Don't trade our lives for a slice of a cake," he growls.

A knock on the door interrupts their discussion. Marcel gets the door and lets in a rather frantic looking Zeke.

"Eren!" Zeke says as he makes a beeline for his little brother. He throws his arms around Eren and pulls him into a tight hug.

Typically, Eren would roll his eyes and try to escape. But typically, Zeke would only be jokingly trying to hug his brother and not go for a real hug. It looks like something must have happened, because it kind of looks like Zeke might be shaking as he holds his little brother.

Porco glances at Marcel to confirm his thoughts, only to realize that Marcel and Eren are looking at each other.

Of course, they are.

"Zeke...? Did something happen?" Eren asks slowly.

The grip around Eren tightens for a second before Zeke forces himself to let go with a shuddering breath. He doesn't look calm at all.

"No matter how much trouble you might get in, don't go in to battle tomorrow," Zeke says.

His voice is a hushed whisper. Almost as if he's struggling to get every word out of his mouth. Something spooked him.

"W-why not?" Eren asks. "What happened?"

"The Attack Titan saw the future. Eren, if you go to battle tomorrow, you will die."

Porco doesn't think he's alone in thinking that that can't be real. But Zeke looks terrified out of his mind, and he's really not the type to joke about things like this. At least, not about Eren.

"I-I thought he can only see the future of Attack Titan shifters...?" Marcel begins slowly.

Zeke nods. "Commander Magath asked him to see the outcome of the battle tomorrow. And... he didn't tell me all the details, but he said... you'll die tomorrow. So I'm begging you, Eren. It's fine to lie and pretend you're sick. Just... don't participate in the mission."

For a second, it looks as if Eren will nod and agree. Then he must have realized something because he hesitates. Seeing that, Zeke's expression falls.

"Please? I'll take the punishment if Magath pushes. But I just... I can't lose you, Eren."

Porco desperately wants to add that he agrees with Zeke. They shouldn't take this kind of warnings lightly. And yeah, the Attack Titan says some strange things and everyone agrees that he probably has more than a few screws missing, but he has yet to make a prediction that was proven false.

"Was the prediction that I'll die if I go on the mission or that I'll die tomorrow?" Eren asks.

Zeke shakes his head frantically as he grips his brother's shoulders. But it looks like the decision has already been made. Porco frowns, trying to figure out what exactly he missed. He glances at Marcel again, but Marcel is glaring at the ground. So he looks around the room to everyone else. Reiner is staring at the two brothers with an expression like he might burst into tears any second now. Bertolt is keeping his attention on the table. Colt keeps glancing around, too, looking as lost as Porco feels.

"S-so you're going to stay safe, right?" Porco asks aloud, even though he's certain that's wrong.

Eren shakes his head. "There's no 'safe.' The Attack Titan's predictions have never been wrong. That means if I'm slated to die tomorrow, then I will, whether I go on this mission or not."

That... can't be right.

No, no, no. Eren is... Eren is going to be fine. He's always fine. Die...? N-no way! No way! As long as he doesn't go to fight tomorrow, he has to be fine. He-

"Tomorrow, let's make me the only casualty," Eren tells them with a forced smile.

Porco doesn't know how to respond.

*

Zeke doesn't leave, even though this isn't his room. None of them have any heart to tell him to go.

"Eren will die tomorrow."

No matter how Porco turns it in his head, it makes no sense. How can Eren die? He's the most crafty out of all of them, and that's including Marcel's cunning. Porco has over a hundred instances that he can list of the times Eren outfoxed Marcel, usually for dessert or to get out of a chore. Someone like that can't just drop dead. Porco can't believe it.

He refuses to believe it.

But the downcast mood of the room scolds him for being such a stubborn idiot. If he doesn't use this short remaining time now, isn't that the same as wasting the precious few hours he has until Eren is...

He lets out a frustrated yell and grabs Eren by the front of his shirt.

"Then I'll just protect you! Stay two steps behind me at all times, got it?"

"That's not going to-"

Porco smashes his head against Eren's, earning a small whimper. But that at least sparks a fire in Eren's eyes.

"You stupid little-"

"Fight!" Porco snaps. "Don't just accept it! Fight! Since when did Eren Jaeger give up without trying everything he can think of? You're slated to die? Then cheat it. Use every means possible. So just... fight!"

Is it irresponsible?

Because he can't bring himself to accept the idea that Eren might die, he will force Eren to keep fighting? But he doesn't know what else to do. What else to try. This at least sparks life back into Eren's eyes. So isn't it fine? Can Porco please just hang onto this hope?

"More so than Porco, it makes more sense to rely on me," Reiner says. "I have a bigger build, so you'll be able to hide behind me. If you hide behind Porco, you'll definitely get hit."

"Hey!" Porco shoots Reiner a look, but Reiner's focus is solely on Eren.

"I-I'm tall, so I can help," Bertolt stammers. He blushes and looks down at the ground before anyone can say anything.

Colt frowns and thinks hard. "I can't think of what else I can offer, but I'm always here for you."

"I can think of a few tactics we can use to keep you as safe as we can," Marcel adds.

Zeke looks a little more relieved as he thanks all of them. But Zeke is mistaken if he thinks that this is for him. To be honest, Porco doesn't think that this is for Eren either. He's not that selfless of a person. This is for himself. Because if he does nothing, he fears that he'll go insane.

Eren covers his face and looks away from them in a poor attempt to hide his tears. Porco supposes that if his selfishness gives Eren a reason to fight again, he doesn't mind.

"Okay," Eren manages out. He looks back at them with a shaky grin. "I'll fight."

Porco feels a flutter in his chest that he can only call hope.

*

He wakes up in the middle of the night, confused and disoriented. It takes him a second to remember that he's on a mission, far away from Liberio. Then another second to recall the dreadful prediction hanging over their heads for tomorrow.

Maybe he should take this chance to go wake Eren for a talk or cuddle or something before morning?

The minute that thought occurs to him, he hears something like muffled sobbing. Muffled...?

"... is scary. I'm not that strong. I'm not that smart. I can't think of a single way around this prediction."

That's Eren's voice. He keeps his tone low, barely above a whisper. Porco can't tell if that's because he's wary of waking people or if that's the best he could do to keep from sobbing out loud.

"Do you want to run away? No one will fault you if you want to. I bet the Jaw Titan will help us if you ask, too. We can wake Zeke up right now and-"

Marcel's soft words fall silent. Porco has no doubt that Eren gave him a glare to shut him up.

"What's that going to solve? If I'm fated to die, whether I run or not, I'll die. It'd be embarrassing to die while running from the battle. In that case, isn't it better that I die while protecting someone?"

Purely logically speaking, Porco thinks he might understand that train of thought. He doesn't agree with it. But Eren has always been a much kinder person than he lets on.

"Do you think that there's no way for you to live at all?"

There's no vocal answer. But from the rest of the conversation, Porco can guess that Eren must have nodded.

"That's why don't feel guilty. There was nothing that could have been done. I'm happy with this."

Porco clenches his fists. Shut up. Shut up. If Marcel doesn't shut Eren up right now, then Porco is going to just get up and-

"Liar."

There's a pause of silence before there's the softest of whisper between Marcel and Eren. Porco can't bring himself to move. He wants to know. Desperately, he wants to know what they're talking about. What is Marcel saying? Is it enough to calm Eren down? What are you supposed to say in this situation? Porco wants to know.

But if he moves now, he'll give away that he heard.

That he heard but still has no idea what to do.

*

Magath's eyes land on Eren for a second longer than anyone else in the morning. Porco probably wouldn't have noticed it until Magath ruffles Eren's hair.

"Die with pride."

It's the closest thing to a praise any of them has ever heard from him.

*

The Jaw Titan's lips are pulled into a snarl. She grabs Eren's shoulder like she's about to say something but is unable to.

Porco relates.

"It's fine," Eren tells her. "I'll be leaving mom to you."

For a second, the Jaw Titan looks like she's going to say something. But she must have changed her mind, because she nods firmly.

"No matter what your deadbeat dad says, you're Carla's and my kid."

There's another second's hesitation. Porco wonders what else she thought of that she wanted to say. But she just squeezes Eren's shoulder one more time before returning to the other Warriors.

"Doesn't your dad make more money than her?" Reiner asks Eren.

"Yup. She refuses to call dad anything but deadbeat. I think it's a pride thing."

Normally, that would make them laugh. Normally, they'd lightly tease the Jaw Titan before moving on.

But it's hard to laugh.

*

"Two steps behind me," Porco reminds Eren as they get on the field.

Eren roll his eyes, but he responds in affirmative anyways.

Zeke's place is with the main squad, drawing the fire away from them. It sounds like he'll be the one leading the army while Magath focuses on the Warriors. And the Warrior Candidates here will be led by Marcel as always. Thinking about it like that, Porco supposes that Marcel is held in high regards. High regards by the Marleyans and by Eren, huh?

"Porco, I'm leaving Eren to you," Marcel says.

His brother's expression is calm. Porco wonders if Marcel realizes just how much confidence that gives him.

Without a doubt, he will protect Eren.

He won't allow the Attack Titan's prediction to come true this time around.

*

But protecting someone isn't easy.

Rather, protecting someone as willful and selfless as Eren isn't easy.

It doesn't matter that they knew danger was looming overhead. It doesn't matter that Porco swore to protect Eren. It doesn't matter that Eren promised that he'll fight to live. Absolutely nothing matters in the face of the Attack Titan's prediction.

There's a vague blur in the corner of Porco's vision that makes him turn. By then, it's too late.

Eren reaches Reiner.

Eren shoves Reiner out of the line of fire.

The bullets find a target, even if it's not the one they started with.

Eren falls.

*

"No, no, no, no, no... Shut up. Shut up. You promised. You promised."

Faintly, he's aware that he's babbling like an idiot as he tries desperately to stop the blood. But there are multiple bullet wounds. He doesn't know which one he's supposed to focus on. How is he supposed to stop them all?

His vision starts swimming. And damn it. Damn it. This isn't fair. This isn't fair. Eren, you promised. You said you'll try. So why did you jump into the line of fire?

"We... we need to keep moving."

Porco slowly turns to look at his blurry brother. That... that wasn't Marcel who said that, right? It just sounded like Marcel's voice, but it wasn't Marcel. There's no way that Marcel would ever say-

"If we don't accomplish our mission, Zeke and our main forces will be in danger. So we need to... to keep moving. If we stay here, we'll be sitting ducks for more attacks as well. So we... we need to go."

The words of protest on Porco's tongue gets cut off by Marcel's hand on his shoulder. His brother is shaking. The infinitely calm Marcel is-

"Porco, stay with Eren. It doesn't have to be here. But just... stay with Eren."

Oh.

Marcel sounds a second away from crying. He's forcing himself to move forward. Because that's what Eren would do. Hell, this is probably what the two of them talked about so quietly last night. To keep moving. That even if Eren were to fall, Marcel needed to push everyone forward to accomplish the mission.

But Porco can't do that.

He's not like Eren. He can't just put his thoughts and feelings to the side for the purpose of the mission, the "greater good," or what have you. He can't throw himself in front of danger, not if his own life is on the line. Isn't that the reason why he has been so fascinated by Eren? Because that kind of selfless nobility is something that Porco has only read about in storybooks.

He's not like his brother. He can't just make himself move because that's what Eren asked of him. Because that's what is expected of him. That's why Marcel is always the leader and Porco the watcher, isn't it? That's why everyone puts Marcel on a pedestal and praise him for being so mature, so smart. Because Marcel knows what must be done and moves to do it, no matter how he might feel about it.

Porco is stupidly selfish with no redeeming quality.

But thanks to his selfishness, he is being allowed to stay with Eren.

Make sure that Eren isn't alone in his last moments, right? Let everyone else worry about the mission. Just focus on Eren.

Because as a selfish idiot, that's the only thing he can do. Because everyone knows that Porco won't be able to focus on the mission anyways. So let him do this. They know he'll abandon the mission mid-way to run back to Eren anyways.

It'll be insulting if Porco didn't feel so grateful.

*

It doesn't even occur to him to move. Porco just hunkers down, pressing closely to Eren's body to see if he can use his entire body in an effort to stop the bleeding while keeping Eren warm.

"Now is the time, you know. You're supposed laugh and tell me this is a joke. That you didn't mean it. That this is just one of your many terrible pranks. I promise I won't get mad. So please... just... just live."

Porco leaves his forehead pressed against Eren's.

"I'll give you my desserts for the next month... No. For the next year. Hell, I'll give any and all sweets I come across to you. Eren, please don't go. Please stay."

He's been whispering like this for a while now. Babbling. Just saying whatever comes to mind in hopes that he can talk death away.

"Please live."

Like a stupid child he is, he hangs onto hope.

Except that's dumb.

What's begging going to solve? When did rolling over and taking whatever crap the world throw at him ever help? In fact, when has Eren ever reacted well to someone pathetically whimpering in front of him? No, no. Eren always look a thousand times more lively whenever someone-

Porco reels his head back and smacks it as hard as he can against Eren's forehead.

"Dumbass! What the hell are you doing? Fight! You said you would, didn't you? You promised! Since when did you give your word so lightly? Death? Hah! You're stronger than that. I take back what I said about your sweets. I'll steal your portion if you don't get up! Eren, live!"

It's because his body is so close to Eren's that he feels it. The stutter of a heartbeat. It's weak, but it's there.

It's there.

"I'm not going to let you die! You have to keep fighting. C'mon, Eren!"

As if responding to Porco's words, Eren's eyes open.

*

Eren's eyes are...

The freshly mowed lawn on a sunny day. The vibrancy of wildlife after a rainfall. The endless tree leaves like a shield against the sun. The stubborn weed untrampled on a battlefield. The freedom of an open field that Eldians may never run through.

They're nature green.

"Eren green," Marcel and Porco often joked. The kind of green that shifts with his mood, kind of like how the green of plants never look the same. The kind of green that gives a sense of comfort. Like everything will be okay. Even if things are hard now, it'll get better. Because Eren represents the ruthless nature that nurtures as well as destroys.

Eren green is a green that can bring about change, because it's filled with so much life.

Porco doesn't recognize this metallic silver.

It looks so much like the glint of a rifle that Porco abandoned to the side. Something cold. Something static. Something...

Something that shouldn't be Eren.

"I... haven't... given up!"

But that fire is familiar. The refusal to give up is familiar. That scorching _will_ to live is all that Porco wants to see.

Porco finds himself grinning despite himself.

Strange colored eyes or not, this is Eren.

"Keep fighting then."

The fire in Eren's eyes threaten to swallow Porco whole. But Porco has faced against Eren's anger too often to be anything but charmed.

Because if Eren is angry, then he's not dead.

That's all Porco needs.

*

Porco knows when everything must have gone well when the Cart Titan arrives with the medics. He doesn't know how the Cart was able to find where they were (maybe that was something that the Attack Titan predicted as well? The exact location where Eren will die). He's just glad that Eren can finally get help.

"Eren is still alive! Please, save him!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Hell, I'll give any and all sweets I come across to you. Eren, please don't go."_
> 
> Shut up, damned dumbass. What the hell does he think Eren is trying so desperately to do? He's doing his best to keep conscious. He doesn't need Porco to add on to the guilt of not being enough. 
> 
> Damn it. Damn it. This isn't enough. This isn't enough. Why the hell is he never enough?
> 
> It's cold. So damned cold. But he doesn't want to give up like this. He doesn't want it to end like this.
> 
> He has so many things he wants to do. He promised Annie he'll teach her how to make Chicken Noodle Soup when he got back. He promised Pieck they'll beg Magath together to allow them to go to a Marleyan museum. He promised Bertolt they'll have a sharp shooting competition with sweets on the line. He promised Colt to help refine Colt's messy hand-to-hand. He promised Reiner to help track down Reiner's dad on the Marleyan side of Liberio. He promised Porco they'll play a round of cards and team up against Marcel. He promised Marcel they'll make it up to Porco for making him so mad yesterday with their dumb prank. He promised Zeke that for grandma's birthday this year, they'll surprise her by baking a cake together. 
> 
> He promised his parents he'll come back home.
> 
> It can't end like this. This can't be it. Eren wanted... he...
> 
> _"You're slated to die? Then cheat it."_
> 
> Cheat...?
> 
> Oh. That's right. It doesn't have to be "him," does it? 
> 
> He is the one who made the promise, but as long as it's an "Eren," no one will mind. Maybe they won't even notice. 
> 
> As long as it's an "Eren."
> 
> Then it doesn't matter who. It doesn't matter from where.
> 
> How bitter. 
> 
> He wanted to be the one to do it. He wanted to be the one by their side. But if the Attack Titan says that he will die here, he must.
> 
> So he'll leave it to another "Eren."
> 
> "Please take care of them."


	2. did Levi seriously punch Eren so hard that he got isekai'ed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daz once said that you'll see your life flash before your eyes right before your death. When they jokingly asked him how often he has seen his life flash, Daz paled and stammered, "T-the normal amount."
> 
> Later, they saw Ymir put her arm around Daz's shoulders while leering and saying, "Ehhh? But Krista and I saved your life, Daz. Aren't you going to thank us by doing our part of the chores, too?"
> 
> From the way Daz paled and paused a bit as if he was seeing something flash before his eyes, they all came to the conclusion that the "normal amount" for Daz was quite possibly every time Ymir spoke to him.
> 
> "What an idiot!" Jean said, laughing. "Can he not tell what is life-threatening danger anymore?"
> 
> Jean would probably think that Eren is an idiot right now, wouldn't he?
> 
> Because who the hell thinks his life is in danger because Levi punched him in the face? Granted, it felt like half his teeth were knocked out from the blow. But it was a punch, damn it. After defeating the Colossal Titan, he really doesn't want to be the one known as the guy who got killed by a punch, never mind he can't die because he has titan healing. 
> 
> But there's a small boy who looks like how he did when he was a child (minus the eyes. What's up with those green eyes? They're creepy) in front of him. There is sand stretched far to the horizon all around them. The night sky full of stars above them is beautiful, not that Eren can focus on it. Just two seconds ago, it was day. Eren clearly remembers the sun in the sky when he was struggling against the Colossal.
> 
> So this has to be his life flashing before his eyes, right?
> 
> Somehow, he thought it would be... faster.
> 
> "I er... s-sorry!" the kid blurts out.
> 
> Sorry? For what? Shouldn't it be Eren apologizing to his smaller self? Let's see. This kid looks to be... what? Maybe 8? 9? That should be a bit before the Colossal Titan attacked, right? Then this should be around the time Eren met Mikasa?
> 
> "I don't have much time left, so I'll make this fast. But er... k-know that I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think it was possible. But I saw these threads when I was about to die, and when I pulled, you were here. T-the thread snapped, so I-I think you can't go back. I-I wasn't trying to trap you here. I swear! B-but s-s-s-since you're here a-a-anyways, w-why not... just... e-enjoy your time here, you know? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be asking anything of you, but I... m-my family and friends. T-they're good people. I-if you get the chance... if you ever find a space in your heart to, please... Please take care of them!"
> 
> What the hell is this kid talking about? But before Eren can properly ask, the kid... huh?
> 
> In one second, the kid is in front of him. In the next, the kid is gone. 
> 
> "What... the hell...?"

The ground is shaking. There seems to be explosions going off, which is causing this mess and sound.

Eren feels disoriented as it is, can the world please calm down?

He feels cold even though there seems to be something heavy on top of him. For some odd reasons, he feels lethargic as well. The shaking world isn't helping his senses. It's making him want to puke, except his abdomen area feels sore for some reasons.

"You have to keep fighting. C'mon, Eren!"

No shit, stupid. If he stops here, then Armin dies. Mikasa might have given up on Armin, but Eren hasn't. He lost too many precious people in his life to see hope and let Levi snatch it away.

Eren forces his eyes open to see who this idiot is. Because it has to be an idiot. Of course, Eren will keep fighting. He needs to stop Levi. He needs to save Armin.

"I... haven't... given up!"

Huh?

This person grinning so widely at him...

"Keep fighting then."

Who the hell is this?

*

Okay, okay. Don't panic.

This is... He has no idea what the fuck this is, but panic will make this worse. Being calm is key. He needs to calm down.

Where the hell is Armin? Levi? Yeah, he smells the blood, gunpowder, and smoke from battle as he should. But wasn't the battle over? They won, didn't they? They brought down the Colossal, and it sounded like the enemy retreated. So at least for now, they've bought themselves time with this victory.

Mikasa wouldn't leave him alone with a stranger unless...

Unless Armin is dead.

Oh.

When Levi punched Eren, did he lose consciousness? So no one fought for Armin. A-and... Mikasa is... burying Armin's body while Eren was out?

But that doesn't explain the explosions. That doesn't explain this strange kid on top of him. Just what the hell is...

Oh.

This must be a dream.

The thought comforts him enough to be lulled to sleep.

*

His head is aching.

Actually, it's not just his head. There are various sore spots all over his chest. It feels a little like someone pelted him with rocks. Can you get this kind of damage with someone punching you? Then again, it is Captain Levi. Maybe the way he punches is special? Or maybe he landed on some rubble pieces or something?

Either way, it sucks.

It feels like he's in a really expensive bed, what with how soft the mattress is and how he feels like he can just "smell" the cleanliness. When he slowly opens his eyes, he sees that this seems to be a private room of sorts. The room (and the bed) seems really big somehow. Where is this place? It doesn't look like a room in an inn or one in prison. Then is he in a medical ward?

There's someone sleeping on a chair next to Eren's bed. Due to Eren's position, he can't make out much of this person's features aside from curly blonde locks. Except curly blonde locks? Huh? Shouldn't it be Mikasa? And speaking of blondes...

What happened to Armin?

Judging by the way he's in bed in pain, he can only make the assumption that he failed. Levi got his wish. Erwin will live on as a titan because they need a commander more than they need Armin. Even though Armin was the one who figured out who the Female Titan is. Even though Armin was the one who came up with the strategy to defeat the Colossal Titan. Even though Armin was the reason why Eren and Mikasa survived for so long...

Armin is dead because Eren failed to fight for his friend. A friend who sacrificed everything for the sake of victory. And Eren fell for it, even though he knew. _He knew._ There was no way for the two of them to defeat the Colossal Titan on their own without a great sacrifice. But he believed Armin's words. He believed everything will be alright. Even though he knew, he decided to pull the wool over his own eyes because that's easier than admitting that he's a failure.

Everything hurts. And he doesn't mean that just in the physical sense. It seems suiting. Even with titan healing, this pain in his heart will never mend.

He might not have been the one to deal the blow, but he killed Armin. It wasn't Bertolt. It wasn't Levi.

He did it.

There's no if's, and's, or but's about it.

His eyes water. His body aches so much that it makes raising his arms to wipe the tears a chore. He feels bitter. He feels frustrated. Why couldn't he have done more? Why must he always be not enough?

"... Eren?"

He peeks around his hands towards the voice and is met with the most hopeful eyes. The owner of those curly blonde locks is a young man, just a few years older than Eren. He's not someone Eren recalls meeting before. But this young man looks to Eren as one would a miracle. Like he's looking at something precious to him.

Then the young man must have registered Eren's tears, because his expression becomes alarmed. He jerks from his chair and rushes to Eren's side, awkwardly standing by the bedside.

"D-does it hurt? S-should I get dad? W-what about painkillers? Anything you want. I'll get it for you."

Can he get Armin? Can he turn back time to save Hannes? Save all the soldiers that died needlessly either due to Eren's incompetence or just bad circumstances? Save the trainees of the 104th Squad? Save his mom? Stop the Colossal Titan from destroying the walls, both times?

He knows that he's being unfair. Taking his frustrations out on this person who is clearly just trying to help is rude. Besides, what's he doing trying to blame his own failures on other people and make them take responsibility for it?

"W-water?" Eren manages.

The young man nods. He scrambles to the door of the room that's situated on the wall to Eren's left. While the young man is distracted, Eren takes the time to look around the room without sitting up.

The room is a stark white as if to show off just how clean this place is. There are two windows on the wall right of Eren's bed, opposite of where the door is. The wall across from where Eren's bed is is where a closet rests. There doesn't seem to be any sign of a bathroom, but there's a small pot of sorts by the closet that makes Eren rather wary about what that might be. The small counter by his bedside has a vase filled with bright flowers, a few well-read books, and a lamp. The now empty chair that the young man was is to Eren's left, close to the door.

This doesn't look like any medical ward Eren has been in. It looks more fancy than that. But why would anyone put Eren in an expensive room? Erwin might have lived thanks to Levi, but that doesn't mean they'll easily sweep Eren's insubordination under the rug. Eren thought he'd be in a prison cell for the umpteenth time.

"Here," the young man says, returning to Eren's side with a glass of water.

Eren accepts the young man's help in sitting upright (Ugh. It hurts so damned much. And now that he thinks about it, shouldn't his titan healing have kicked in by now?). Although he normally wouldn't have accepted help like this, the pain makes him reconsider. It's fine, right? To lean on this sturdy body and get help to quench his thirst?

Once he's had some water, he starts to realize more and more things.

The biggest one is that he most definitely doesn't know who this young man is. The young man dresses in such a neat outfit that makes Eren think of the military. But that's not a military uniform that Eren recognizes. He also doesn't think any military division wears an armband like that. What even is that armband? Is that supposed to be a star? An explosion?

"I've asked the nurses to get dad. He'll bring painkillers. Does it hurt a lot? I'm... sorry I can't help you with that. B-b-but... Eren, I'm so, so happy that you're alive. Thank you."

... Huh? What the hell is this guy talking about?

"Of course, I'm alive," Eren growls. He's a titan. Like hell he'll die because he was punched. Just what kind of a pathetic loser does this guy think Eren is?

The young man smiles and presses a...

Huh? Huuuh????

Why the hell did this guy just kiss Eren's forehead for? Gross. Gross. Gross. Eren doesn't even allow Mikasa to get that close. Where the hell does this stranger get off-

"Thank you for coming home."

Eren shoves the guy back as much as he can with his chest throbbing in pain.

"Who the hell are you?!"

* * *

It's relief.

That feeling of sudden weight being removed from his shoulders and chest. That butterfly feeling of the guilt and despair floating away. That worry disappearing and replaced with a deep sense of gratitude and fondness.

"Look how energetic you are!" Zeke cheers, ruffling Eren's hair in pride. "I was so scared you'd be stuck in bed much longer. But if you're this lively, I'm sure they'll let you go home early!"

Eren bats away Zeke's hand, lips drawn back into a snarl. "I said, 'Who are you?'"

Is he annoyed because Zeke ignored his set up for a prank? Jeesh, like Zeke will fall for that one again! But Eren did just perform a miracle by defying the Attack Titan's death flag... Well, Zeke doesn't mind being a fool to reward his little brother.

He lets out a loud gasp and gives his little brother the most hurt puppy look that he can manage. Fufu. How's that, Eren? Your older brother is quite the actor, too. If Eldians were allowed to act (and Zeke's family lineage wasn't what it was), he would totally have stolen hearts as an actor.

"How could you forget your darling brother? After all that I've done for you? I changed your diapers, wiped your drool, taught you base-"

"I don't have a brother."

There's... something off about the way Eren said that. Normally, Eren's pranks are a little more playful. Eren's tone of voice here should have been more mischievous. His green eyes should be sparkling with excitement in false belief that he has tripped Zeke. But right now...

Since when were Eren's eyes gray?

More so than the color, that's unease in Eren's eyes. He looks like his guard is up, too. It's almost enough to make Zeke believe that his brother isn't joking.

But he knows Eren's tricks too well to fall for that!

He will admit that his little brother has gotten very crafty about pranks. But it's not enough to pull wool over Zeke's eyes! Haha! Very cute attempt, Eren. As a reward, Zeke will play along for a bit longer!

"But how can that be?" Zeke exclaims in distress. "How can my dearest brother forget about me? Does our time together mean nothing to you?"

The look on Eren's face makes Zeke falter. Eren looks confused, if not a little panicked. Confused and panicked? Why would Eren look like that...?

Huh?

Is he... telling the truth?

The question is at the tip of Zeke's mouth when Grisha walks into the room. Damn this man for his bad timing as always.

"Eren!" Grisha says, rushing over to Eren's side without any hesitation.

He gives Zeke's shoulder a small squeeze and a smile. And there's that Jaeger charm Dina complains often about. Zeke finds himself smiling back despite himself. It's going to be okay. Everything's fine.

Their dad is here.

"How are you feeling?" Grisha asks, turning to Eren with a soft smile. "Does it hurt? I brought painkillers."

"Why...?"

Eren has a look on his face that Zeke doesn't know how to describe. If it had been any other times, he would've thought his little brother was continuing his prank. But that expression looks too lost, too scared. Like Eren doesn't understand how this can be happening. Like he's about to burst into tears. Like he just wants to run away from this.

"H-hey, it's okay now. The battle is over," Zeke says softly.

"W-why are you here?" Eren whispers. His eyes are set on Grisha.

And this is possibly what Zeke always finds so amazing about his dad. Even though Zeke is a trained soldier, he's freaking out. But Grisha keeps a calm demeanor and even smiles.

"I got permission," Grisha explains. "I thought you'd prefer seeing me over any other doctor."

Eren stares at Grisha for a beat longer. Then he suddenly smiles sweetly. "Oh, I get it! It's a dream!"

Zeke feels his brows furrow in worry. Yeah, this doesn't feel like a prank anymore. Then... then Eren really doesn't remember him? W-wait, does he remember Grisha? He has to, right? Eren's question wasn't who Grisha was. Rather, why he was here...

That's not fair! That's so not fair! Why does Grisha get remembered but Zeke doesn't? Zeke has been by Eren's side the longest! They trained together! They fought in battles together! Sure, Grisha is Eren's dad, but Zeke is Eren's brother! Clearly, Zeke is more important to Eren than Grisha will ever be!

"Eren, this isn't a dream," Grisha says gently. "You did survive. It must have been very hard, but you did it. I'm very proud of you."

Zeke can only describe the next moment as Eren's guard falling. No, that's not... Those words don't quite capture how fragile Eren looks in that second before the tears pour out.

Eren cries himself to sleep under Zeke and Grisha's watch.

*

"Doesn't remember you?" Grisha asks, a small smile on his face like he dares to be amused by this.

The two of them are still in Eren's private room, quietly discussing to not wake him. Zeke doubts that this place is actually private, but it feels more private than talking out in the open where any Marleyan might overhear. Typically, the Marleys would let cases like this be taken care of by the Eldian doctors inside the internment zone. But possibly because Eren is a Warrior Candidate (or because Eren was still alive despite the Attack Titan's prediction), Magath gave the order for Eren to stay in a private room in this Marleyan hospital instead.

"I thought it was a prank like always but... his expression makes it hard for me to believe that. Is... is that really possible? For Eren to forget?"

Grisha stays silent for a worrying minute before he lets out a depressed sigh. "Unfortunately, I don't know. It's not exactly a common thing for people to defy death. We don't have any reliable study or research to base anything on. On top of that, because of how young Eren is, it's possible that any prior studies won't apply to him."

Zeke feared that would be the case.

"It's also possible that he was disoriented from waking up," Grisha adds with a light smile. "So don't be too disheartened."

"But if it does turn out that Eren did forget? What then?"

Grisha looks to Zeke in surprise. But his expression is soft and kind as he pats Zeke's back. Zeke suspects that if he hadn't already felt so panicked about this, he would have found this mocking. As it is, he can't help but to find solace in his dad's comfort.

"Then we make the best of it. Eren isn't dead, Zeke. That by itself is a miracle that we can never stop being thankful of. As long as Eren is alive, don't you think it's worth whatever small inconveniences we might run into?"

How is being forgotten a small inconvenience?! Grisha is just saying that because Eren didn't forget him!

"Besides, don't you think it might be better that Eren forgets all the times you've eaten his snacks?"

... Well, now that Zeke thinks about it, perhaps this isn't such a bad thing after all. He can be the model older brother he always wanted to be if Eren doesn't remember all of his wrongdoings... Okay, fine. Zeke will give this another shot.

*

The permission for Grisha to be in this Marleyan hospital is under the assumption that he helps out. So unfortunately, he is soon called away by a nurse. It never fails to amaze Zeke how much respect the hospital staff shows for both Dr. Jaegers. Zeke doesn't think he's ever seen any Eldian be treated like that, especially not the Warriors. Is that because they're doctors meant for saving lives while the Warriors are killers?

A soft sound catches Zeke's attention. He glances over at Eren, who tiredly opens his eyes.

"Hey, little cat," Zeke says, gently pushing Eren's hair out of his face. "Feeling better?"

Eren closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath in. Then he looks to Zeke with those tired gray eyes.

"It really wasn't a dream, was it?" he mumbles, more to himself than to Zeke. Louder, he asks, "You're... you said 'big brother,' right? Does 'big brother' have a name?"

How disheartening. So Eren really doesn't remember...

"It's Zeke. Zeke Jaeger."

"Never heard of you. If you're trying to trick me, you should've said you're 'Armin from the future' or something."

"What uh... does that mean?" Zeke asks slowly.

There's a small pause as if Eren is confused by Zeke's words. But Zeke would like to point out that Eren is the one sprouting weirdness.

"Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman," Eren says slowly. "D-do you... not know them?"

Zeke tries really hard to think about these two names. The name "Mikasa" sounds like a Hizuru name. But "Ackerman?" Is she mixed? And Hizuru allowed that? If someone like that really existed and hasn't already been killed by the Hizuru, then Zeke is pretty certain he would remember that person.

"I'm afraid not."

Eren seems lost in thought for a bit. Then he motions for Zeke to come close.

Hm? Does this mean that Eren accepts him?

Zeke does as bid, trying not to be too obvious with his giddiness. Eren reaches up towards Zeke's cheek and...

Pinches.

"Ow! Ow!"

"It hurts? Damn. This isn't a dream."

Eren has to remember. This has to be a prank. There's no way that Eren would say something like that so casually and-

"You're supposed to pull on your own cheeks!" Zeke protests.

"How old am I?" comes the sudden topic change.

Eren can't even remember that? Zeke feels his heart ache for his cute brother.

"You're seven."

There's a small pause of silence as Eren lets that sink in. He stares at the hand that was pulling on Zeke's cheek just a moment ago. It looks like he's thinking about something very deeply. Zeke wonders if maybe it sparked a memory.

"Can you get me more water?" Eren asks.

It's a simple enough request that Zeke doesn't think to question it. But when he's halfway out the door, he hears it. Soft, muffled sobs. Zeke catches just a small glimpse as he closes the door behind him.

Eren with his hands covering his eyes as he muffles his sobs.

Zeke can't hear him once the door closes. Is that because of how quietly Eren was crying? Or because of how much thicker the walls of a Marleyan hospital is compared to the clinic? Either way, it doesn't matter.

So much for being a better brother to Eren. So much for being a model brother. So much for being a role model.

Instead of rushing to comfort his little brother, Zeke turned tail and ran.

He covers his face and forces himself to take a deep breath.

Water first, he reminds himself. Then he will step it up. Just you wait, Eren. You'll see just how manly and cool your big brother is!

* * *

"Eren has memory loss. So please treat him as gently as you can," Dr. Grisha says when Marcel and Porco comes to the hospital for a visit after they are dismissed from the Warrior Candidate training for the day.

Marcel doesn't really get what Dr. Grisha means by "memory loss," but Eren is awake.

That's all that matters!

It's been nearly a month since the Attack Titan claimed that Eren will die. But Eren soldiered on past all of that! Eren is alive. Eren is alive. Eren is alive! And now Eren is awake, and Marcel is going to see him after so long!

"Hey, watch where you're going," Porco says, grabbing the back of Marcel's shirt. "You're going to run into that wall."

Marcel can't even come up with a coherent response to seem calm. He's too excited. Instead, he grins widely at Porco and pats his brother's shoulder.

"Eren's awake!"

Porco gives him an uneasy look. Any other times, Marcel would've stopped to ask after Porco, but there's no time for that! If Porco has a stomach ache, lucky him, he's at a hospital. Oh wait. They won't look at him since he's an Eldian, right? Uh... Oh! Dr. Grisha is here! See? It's fine to not worry about Porco right now.

Because Eren is awake! Eren is awake and-

"Hey Marcel, are you... I-I mean... Doesn't that scare you? What Dr. Grisha said?" Porco asks.

Marcel grins widely. "Eren is Eren."

Porco tilts his head, seemingly mulling that over. Marcel figures it'll take Porco some time, since he's always been slow at thinking. So he leads the two of them towards Eren's room.

No surprise, it's a tiny room in the corner of the hospital. Marcel figured it'll be something like that when Magath announced Eren would stay at the Marleyan hospital. But he thought as Warrior Candidates they would be given a place that doesn't look so creepy like it's haunted.

Well, whatever.

Eren is awake.

That's all that matters. That's all that matters!

Eren is-

Marcel opens the door without another thought.

"Zeke, the hell's with these books you... oh."

Silver.

And Marcel heard Porco's report to Magath. He remembers thinking that Porco probably saw wrongly. After all, it was in the middle of the battlefield, and there was a lot of things happening. It makes perfect sense for someone who isn't very sharp like Porco to mistake things like that. He didn't think any further than that.

But in front of him right now, Eren's eyes are most definitely silver.

"Uh... is some-"

Marcel slams the door close.

"Aren't... we going to see Eren?" Porco asks, confused.

"That was the wrong room," Marcel explains.

Porco rolls his eyes. "Hah! Like I'll fall for that. I saw him in there before you closed the door, you freak. C'mon, open it."

Marcel positions himself so that he's in front of the doorknob to stop Porco. Nope. Nope. Porco's wrong. Eren's eyes are green. Not just any green but Eren green. Porco is an idiot, so Marcel understands where the confusion comes from but-

"Oh, grow up!"

Marcel could have sworn that he's stronger of the two. But he finds himself all too easily pushed out of the way. By the time he scrambles back up to try and stop Porco, the door is open again.

"Yo Eren!" Porco greets as he walks boldly into the room.

No, no, Porco! You're going to disturb this poor kid if you just barge in randomly like that! Apologize! Apologize and let's look for Eren-

Oh. The kid with silver eyes (not Eren. Can't be Eren. Eren has green eyes. Eren green) glances to the side. He's sitting upright, only by the graces of the pillows at his back. There are few books scattered on the bed. Marcel recognizes those books as the ones Eren loves the most.

Then the kid's eyes track back onto Porco and Marcel.

That's annoyance. It's not on the kid's face. In fact, the expression seems to be neutral blank. But Marcel knows Eren's quirks and ticks, and that just now was a small hint that Eren was extremely annoyed about something that he's determined to not take out on Marcel and Porco.

Even though he doesn't want to admit that this silver-eyed kid is Eren, it seems he's already accepted it without meaning to.

Eren with silver eyes, huh?

Damn it, that makes him sound like a cool protagonist in a really fun comic. Isn't that too cool?

"Er... S-sorry. Who are you?"

Yeah, Eren's much too cool like this. Marcel's going to have to step up...

What did Eren just say?

Porco sits down in the only chair by Eren's bedside. He doesn't seem to care about what Eren said as he rolls his eyes at Eren.

"Yeah, yeah. You're hilarious. How are you feeling? Zeke said you're awake, so we rushed over after training."

No, Porco, that's not a prank.

When Eren's preparing a prank, his eyes get shiny and filled with mischief. There's always the smallest bit of grin on his face as he leans just the slightest bit to the right. That's because that's where Marcel stands so they can brush shoulders.

The look on Eren's face right now is carefully guarded. Like he's doing his best not to let his annoyance from before spill out in anger. The only tick giving him away is the small twitch of the fingers, almost like Eren is trying to find something to hold onto. Like he's uncertain. Like he's nervous.

"Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said. But what does that mean?

"Er... it's not a joke. I really don't know who you are," Eren says, looking uncomfortable.

Porco ignores him to grab one of the books on the bed. "This series again. You sure love cheap adventures stories. Aren't adventures more fun when we're on them instead of reading about them?"

It's because Porco's looking at the book that he misses it. The look of utter confusion and disbelief on Eren's face. Marcel takes an uncertain step forward to stop his brother.

"You... can read that?" Eren asks, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"Oh shut it! Of course, I can..."

Porco trails off at the look on Eren's face. Get it now, Porco? Eren isn't joking. "Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said. But what does that mean?

"Like hell I'll fall for that!" Porco yells instead.

Marcel smacks his forehead as Porco waves the book in Eren's face. It's clear that Eren is bewildered by Porco's actions. Why is Porco always like this? Marcel grabs his brother's hand that's holding the book.

"It's not a joke," he says seriously.

Porco stares at Marcel for a second and then at Eren. It looks like it's slowly sinking in, because he makes a small "o" shape with his mouth.

"When did you two plan this prank?!" Porco demands. "Isn't this the first time we're visiting when Eren is awake? D-don't tell me you guys made that plan with just eye contact alone?"

What the hell does Porco think Marcel and Eren are???

"Is this guy always like this?" Eren asks Marcel.

"Yeah... more or less."

Eren gives Marcel a pitying look. "Must be rough."

That, Marcel won't disagree with.

He glances at Eren, who looks tiredly at Porco. That confused way Eren tilts his head is the same. The way Eren's shoulders tense in annoyance is the same. "Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said. But what does that mean?

Then suddenly, Eren's eyes light up. His entire demeanor shifts into that of realization. The softest of gasps escapes his lips as he points at Porco.

"Ah! You're that grinning guy!"

... The...?

"You were grinning when I thought I was going to die!"

There's the smallest of pauses before Porco lets out a loud yell of embarrassment. "T-t-that was because I was happy! It wasn't anything mean! I was happy to see you alive! S-s-stop making it sound suspicious!"

Eren's shoulders just now relaxed. His lips pull into a bright grin. His eyes are excited as he giggles. He's clearly enjoying this at Porco's expense. It's not quite a prank, but Eren's leaning to the right. Not enough to fall down. But enough to feel that something's missing, right? He's missing Marcel?

"What was it now?" Eren says, pretending to think. "Oh! You said, 'Keep fighting!' Even though I was bleeding out!"

"S-s-shut up! It wasn't like that! I-I said... Shut up!"

But wait. Wait. Why is Eren laughing like that without once looking to see why Marcel isn't there? Why isn't Eren meeting eyes with him? Why is Eren's focus just on Porco, even if it's to make fun of him?

"Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said. But what does that...?

"Hey! This is a hospital, you damned Eldians! Shut up!"

That shout is accented by a loud smack of fist against the door. A man in white coat (Has to be a doctor) is glaring at them at the entrance way. Marcel and Porco forgot to close the door.

Shoot. They were so caught up that Marcel completely forgot that they were in Marleyan territory.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir! It won't happen again!" Marcel says as he moves to stand before both his brother and Eren.

The doctor's eyes are cold as he glares at them. But he doesn't scold them any more than that. He leaves with a huff, making sure to close the door for them.

"What an asshole."

Marcel slowly turns to look at Eren who sticks his tongue out at the closed door. Porco snorts and coughs to cover up his laugh. Eren glances at Porco and just happens to meet eyes with him.

The two burst out laughing.

"Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said.

But what does that mean, exactly?

*

"How come that Dr. Archard doesn't have an armband?" Eren asks, motioning at the armband on Porco's arm.

Dr. Archbard? Is that the Marleyan Doctor that told them to shut up?

Porco makes a face. "Distasteful. Don't joke about things like that."

"I'm not joking..."

But there's no real conviction behind those words, so Porco easily dismisses it. Marcel considers saying something about it, but the conversation has already moved on.

"Okay, so what about that lamp?" Eren asks, pointing at the one on the counter by his bedside.

"What about it?" Porco asks slowly.

"Why does it have a tail?"

... Tail?

Marcel looks to Eren, trying to find a sign that this is another joke, but he doesn't see any. Eren doesn't meet eyes with him either. He keeps his eyes set on the lamp. Porco, meanwhile, seems too bitter to take anything seriously.

"Of course, it doesn't have a tail! Shut it! Look!" Porco picks up the lamp for everyone to see. "Why would it have a tail?"

"No, no. That black thing. That's totally a tail... M-maybe it's a rope?"

Marcel looks at the lamp and spots the black cord. Is Eren talking about that?

"Don't mock me!" Porco snaps as he puts the lamp back down to safety.

But Marcel gets the feeling that Eren wasn't mocking Porco. That smallest movement of the head was most definitely Eren holding back a sigh. Eren is clearly frustrated with Porco's unwillingness to answer anything. But he doesn't seem to be angry enough to snap.

"Do you have any intention of answering my questions?" Eren asks.

Porco rolls his eyes. "Then stop joking around."

Eren sighs, looking tired. Maybe Marcel should suggest that Porco and he head back? It is getting pretty late. They'll be kicked out soon from visiting, won't they? Not to mention they didn't tell their mom where they'll be, since they just ran to the hospital as soon as training is over. She's probably worried about them.

"Then one more question," Eren says. He points out the window. "Those carts outside. Why does it look like that? How does it move? Where are the horses?"

"Huh? Horses? Why would there be horses? Those run on oil and mechitorial."

What the hell is that, Porco? Did you mean that they're mechanical??

Eren nods seriously. "Oil and mechitorial? H-how mysterious..."

W-wait, why is Eren taking that seriously? Marcel should correct this misunderstanding. But the way Porco looks so sure of himself makes him hesitate. He shouldn't mock his brother when it's already rare as it is for Porco to demonstrate his knowledge. But when that knowledge is wrong, Marcel should correct it, right?

"Yeah, there's like... two metals or whatever in there. It spins and makes the whole thing work."

What does that even mean??? Porco, please study harder before you attempt to teach others!

The door opens with a bright, "Eren! Your big brother is here!"

Zeke closes the door and comes over to Eren's bedside. He gives Porco and Marcel short but friendly greetings before turning to his little brother with an excited grin. Zeke holds a bag up. There's something special in his bag, that much is clear. 

"Sorry for being late. But Aunt Faye wanted to get me this to you."

Any normal time Eren heard those words, he would have brightened and gleefully tried to guess what kind of treat his aunt made for him this time. But right now, Eren holds up one of the books, completely uncaring of what might be in the bag.

"What's wrong with these books?" Eren demands.

Zeke's grin is frozen on his face. He stammers to defend himself before he realizes that he doesn't actually know what Eren's problem with these books are. It looks like Porco is starting to see that something isn't quite right. Or at least that's what Marcel is assuming that look on Porco's expression means.

"W-w-what do you mean? T-they're your favorites...?"

Eren scowls. "Like hell they are! You think I won't realize you brought me gibberish? Aren't you the jokester between the two of us?"

... Gibberish...?

Marcel picks up another of those books on the bed and flips through. No, no matter how he looks at it, it's one of the books from Eren's favorite series. Then...

"Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said. What does that mean?

"Eren... can you not read this?" Zeke asks slowly.

He puts his bag down on the counter to take the book from Eren's hand. He opens to a random page and points at a word.

"You can't read this?"

Eren seems to have picked up that something is off. His posture becomes rigid. There's slight alarm in his eyes. Any normal time, he would glance at Marcel to seek comfort or assurance that Marcel has his back. But Eren still hasn't glanced once in Marcel's direction.

"It's... not gibberish?" Eren asks, voice quiet.

Zeke puts down the book, looking lost in serious thought. "Eren, tomorrow, I'll go over letters with you."

Eren nods, eyes lowered.

"Memory loss," Dr. Grisha had said. Perhaps that meant...

"Wait, I don't get it," Porco says. "What do you mean go over letters? Eren can read just fine. T-this is... j-just a joke, right?"

Porco must have realized the truth himself from the way he stuttered. He's just waiting for a confirmation.

"Eren. You really don't remember me?" Marcel asks.

"I don't know who you are," Eren tells him.

So that's what "memory loss" is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This is a lamp. It runs on electricity. The 'tail' here is what gives it the power to turn on," Marcel explains to Eren.
> 
> Eren nods seriously, staring at the lamp in his lap. Zeke helped them pull the wire long enough to let Eren hold it. Zeke gave more of a technical explanation, but it went over their heads. Or at least, it went over Porco's head. He's sure his smarty-pants big brother understood it. But he's not sure if Eren really understood everything they've told him.
> 
> "So the power comes from the tail," Eren mumbles to himself.
> 
> He holds the lamp carefully so that his body is supporting its weight. Then he grabs the 'tail' with one hand and pu-
> 
> Porco grabs his wrist before something unthinkable happens. "What are you doing? Are you trying to electrocute yourself?"
> 
> "Well, if this is what gives it elec-whatever, then if I pull it out, I'll be able to see it," comes the surprisingly logical retort.
> 
> "Don't pull it out! That's dangerous!" Zeke says at the same time Marcel says, "You can't see it. It's too small."
> 
> "Are you stupid?" Porco asks.
> 
> And when Porco gets the chance to ask someone that, you know that person really fucked up.
> 
> Eren pouts, clearly displeased. But he makes no more attempts to yank out the cord, so Porco lets him go. Marcel elbows Porco none-too-gently in the side and gives him a look. And yeah, okay. That was Porco's bad. He shouldn't have called Eren stupid. But it's just reflex at this point. He doesn't mean any harm by it. It's just... how was he supposed to know that the basic, every day life things he's long come to take as granted would be the very same things that Eren no longer recalls?
> 
> Hm? It seems Eren spotted something. He reaches for-
> 
> Oh for the love of...
> 
> "Don't touch the bulb!" Porco exclaims a second too late.
> 
> "Ow! It's hot!" Eren says. At least he has enough brain cells to let the bulb go.
> 
> "Of course, it's hot! Stop being so stupid!" 
> 
> And damn it. He said it again. He's sorry, alright, Marcel? Stop elbowing him!
> 
> "So it's fire inside of this, right? That's why it's so hot?" Eren says.
> 
> And now that Porco thinks about it, he actually doesn't know. He knows that electricity goes through the wire and into the lamp. And then? Then what happens? What actually causes the bulb to turn on and give light? Why does that light end up heating up? Is it, as Eren said, that the electricity starts a fire in the bulb?
> 
> It's not even that he thought of himself as smart. But these are not common, everyday things he ever asked himself. In that sense, it seems he's also taken for granted how things work without thinking too hard about the why.
> 
> Given that, isn't it too unfair of him to call Eren stupid?
> 
> "I don't know. But if there is a fire inside, I guess that's why you're not supposed to leave the light on for so long," Porco says.
> 
> "You're not supposed to do that?"
> 
> "Yeah. And if you shatter the bulb, other things around catches on fire. Now we know why!"
> 
> Hm? Why is Marcel looking away, tensing so tightly? Zeke also looks like he's endeared by something? Are they both shocked because Porco is so smart? Heh. That's right. 
> 
> Be awed at Porco's awesomeness.


	3. this isn't true isekai. there's no harem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A way to do well on tests without studying?" Reiner asked, looking like he was struggling to keep his expression as neutral as he could. 
> 
> Connie and Sasha both nodded. "C'mon, you're one of the top! You have to know the answer to that!"
> 
> "Why don't you guys just work hard instead?" Eren pointed out. 
> 
> Immediately, he was greeted with twin shouts of "boo"s and jeers. "You won't get it because you have Armin to think for you!"
> 
> At the time, Jean butted his horse-face into the conversation, forcing it away from Connie and Sasha's original point and more towards a fight. 
> 
> Eren wonders if Bertolt thought about that moment when Armin duped him. Because it may have been Eren who ripped Bertolt out of the Colossal, but it was Armin who tricked Bertolt long enough to allow that to happen. "Eren's brain," right? Since Mikasa is actually smart enough to think for herself. She doesn't need either boys. But Eren needs Armin to think for him since if he doesn't have Armin...
> 
> _"Are you really going to preach to a couple of cold-blooded murderers about how killing is wrong? Will that satisfy you?"_
> 
> Reiner's words keep playing in his head. That scene seems to be burned into his memory. The two traitors on a higher branch, looking down at Eren and Ymir with their haughty air. 
> 
> _"I pitied you."_
> 
> Asshole. Both of them are such damned assholes. At least Annie never went out of her way to befriend them. Annie never tried to get to know them aside from... Wait. No. That's not quite right either. Armin got to know Annie. At least, he knew enough to draw the conclusion that Annie was the Female Titan. Knew enough to know what to say to Annie to get her to cooperate.
> 
> If Eren was more like Armin and got to know those three, would he have been able to prevent all of this? If Eren had been more like Armin and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good and not lose himself to his anger... If Eren had been more like Armin and willing to talk things out instead of lashing out...
> 
> Would that have changed anything? 
> 
> Would that have given Eren the chance to save Armin? Save Hannes? Save his mom? 
> 
> Save everyone?

"Meal time. Put your book away," comes the gruff voice of Dr. Archbard.

The sourpuss asshole is back. Is that glare supposed to be a threat of sorts? So if Eren doesn't rush to obey now, this doctor will...? Will what, exactly? Eren can't imagine this person trying to kill him indirectly or directly. He is still a doctor. So is he just going to stand there and glare?

That's rather pathetic.

Eren closes the book and puts it down next to him. Grisha helped him sit up in the morning (he's starting to be able to move around a lot more without feeling pain now. At least, gripping a pencil and flipping through a book isn't as hard as it was this morning when he began) by propping him up with pillows. One of the nurses lent Eren a small table so he can practice reading and writing this strange alphabet that Zeke insists is what they've always used. With the books moved off of it, Dr. Archbard puts the tray of food on it.

"Doctor, what's this?" Eren asks, tapping a strange container.

"What, you've never had pudding before?"

Pudding? But why is it in a container and not in a bowl like the rest of the food? Oh, maybe they ran out of bowls?

"If you're that suspicious, then just throw it out!" Dr. Archbard snaps.

He's not leaving.

Typically, the nurses stop by with food. In about an hour or so, they'll go around collecting the trays and empty plates. It's weird enough that a doctor stopped by with a tray of food. But for there to be a suspicious container as well...

Are they out of nurses and bowls?

Eren vaguely recalls a battlefield of explosions and gunpowder. So it stands to reason that the hospital is overwhelmed with patients, right? But still, Eren thought that doctors would be busier than nurses... Oh! It must be because Dr. Archbard has bad bedside manners, so no one wanted to see him.

Feeling pretty good about this analysis, Eren turns his attention to his lunch.

Due to the multiple wounds on his chest, Eren's been forbidden from eating anything solid. All of his food has been soup, yogurt, and watery oatmeal. The nursing staff probably think they're being clever, but Eren tastes the sharp bitterness of medicine mixed in with the desserts (typically pudding or jelly). It's a little frustrating, but he supposes he'd rather that than be in pain. But can't they just give him the medicine than hide it like this?

Then again, since he looks like he is seven years old, that's probably the normal way of handling it.

Seven years old... huh?

It still doesn't feel real. Any second now, he keeps waiting to see the flash of red of Mikasa's scarf or hear the sound of Armin calling for them. But that's a reality he will never witness again.

"No way back," the little boy had said in what Eren thought was a dream.

With each minute that passes, Eren's suspicion that it perhaps wasn't grows. He still doesn't understand what happened, but he gets that he's stuck here. This small body he's in now, this life that he's living right now, is most likely that little boy's. "About to die," the kid had said. And from what Eren has been able to gather from Zeke, he was shot, quite possibly on that field of explosions he awoke to.

Who the hell sends a seven year old to the battlefield? Judging from the uniforms that Marcel and Porco were wearing yesterday, it's clear that it wasn't an accident that a little boy was shot multiple times in the chest. Titans don't use guns, so they must have been fighting against other humans. Are there any titans here anyways? No one mentioned anything about that...

So it is as Pixis and Eren discussed when Trost fell. If there are no more titans, humans will just slaughter each other.

The little boy's last request to Eren was to take care of his family and friends. That's... probably the least he can do for that kid who died too sadly, isn't it? At the very least, it's not like there's anyone waiting for him back home, even if he were able to get back. There's no way that Armin isn't dead. Levi would never want to see him again after that insubordination. And Mikasa... She'll finally be able to stand for herself and do what she wants instead of babysitting. She'll be free of any more burdens.

Yeah, it's better this way. It has to be better.

Because if he doesn't keep telling himself that, he thinks he might go crazy.

"Doctor, can you read?" Eren asks.

Dr. Archbard scowls. "Unlike you Eldians, all of us know how to read."

"Then do you know this word?"

Eren grabs his book and tries to flip it open. But Dr. Archbard stops him by taking the book.

"You're going to make a mess. Eat first. Do this after," he growls. But he flips through the book anyways. "Are the words you circled the ones you don't know?"

"Yes. I tried to sound them out, but they were confusing," Eren explains.

"You're diligent. I'll give you that."

But diligent isn't enough. Not if he really wants to stay here as the boy asked him to do. Not if he wants to take care of the boy's family and friends. How can he protect anyone or anything when he doesn't have information? He doesn't want to be caught off-guard and betrayed again. For that, he needs information. As much as he can, he's going to cram his brain with as much knowledge as he can get his hands on.

"You just thought that it wasn't enough, didn't you?" the doctor asks with a small sneer.

Eren flinches. "H-h-how did you...?"

"Because your dad's the same way." The doctor turns the book towards Eren so he can point at a word. "This is 'tenacious.' Know what that means?"

Jean used to call Eren that, along with other nicknames. To think Jean's memory will make him smile at a time like this. Eren wonders if maybe there's Jean in this world. Armin and Mikasa didn't seem to be. So probably not, right? Aside from his dad, there's no one here that he knows, right?

"Someone who is suicidal!"

"... What the hell are you Eldians being taught?"

*

Eren eats while Dr. Archbard goes over the words that Eren circled. He's surprisingly thorough. Just when Eren thinks he's forgotten, the doctor returns to a previous word from before to quiz Eren on what he remembers. If this guy wasn't already a doctor, Eren would've recommended him to be a teacher.

When Eren reaches for the pudding, Dr. Archbard pauses to stare. Hm? Does he want a bite? Could it be that the doctor has a sweet tooth? Should Eren warn him that it probably has medicine mixed in there?

"Would you like a bite?" Eren offers.

"Who would I want to share food with an Eldian?" comes the snobby answer.

He probably knows that there's medicine mixed in.

Eren stares at the pudding for a second longer before finally digging in. He expects the taste of bitter medicine. He prepares himself mentally for it. But he doesn't expect the soft sweetness of honey mixed with... is this flower? He feels like he's smelled it in a garden somewhere.

"Yum! It's good!" Eren gushes.

"R-really?" Dr. Archbard asks, watching Eren carefully.

Did this guy put something in this pudding? Eren can't taste it, though. Perhaps he figured out how to mix medicine with sweets so it won't taste so weird? If that's the case, then Eren applauds this guy for his genius!

"It's delicious! I wish I can eat this every day!"

There's a small blush on Dr. Archbard's face as he glances down at his lap. "I-I see... That's good."

Asshole doctor isn't that bad of a person, after all.

"Want a bite?"

"That's for you," comes the surprisingly gentle answer.

This doctor is just awkward, Eren decides. But he doesn't seem like a bad person. If everyone in this world is like this doctor, Eren thinks he won't be too bitter about staying here.

*

"I want to walk around," Eren tells Grisha seriously when his dad stops by for a check-up.

"D-don't you think it's kind of soon?" Grisha asks worriedly. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you resting for a bit longer."

Eren pouts. Even though he didn't say anything, Grisha folds within seconds. Huh. It seems Grisha here is a lot more weak-willed than Eren's. Or perhaps that has to do with Eren's recent "brush" with death? Eren wonders if this means he'll be able to get out of any trouble. He better use it sparingly, just in case.

"Alright. I'll talk to the other doctors and nurses. But you have to promise not to push yourself, okay?"

"Okay!"

*

"M-maybe we should stop here for today."

Not enough.

It's not enough.

If he can't do something as simple as walking, how is he supposed to eliminate the titans? If he can't do something as fundamental as this, how will he ever catch up to Mikasa? If he can't be stronger, how will he ever protect Armin? If he...

Ah. That's wrong. That's all wrong.

He is no longer...

Firm hands grab him by the shoulders. Worried eyes lock onto him. And for a split-second, Eren delusionally believes that his dad has the serum in one hand. That his dad, while crying, is begging him to understand. That in order to protect Armin and Mikasa-

"Eren, it's okay. You did amazing. You can relax now."

... Relax...? What does that mean? That word isn't registering in his head. Does his dad wants him to clean? He needs a few seconds to catch his breath first, though. Right now, the world is spinning just a bit.

Oh no. No, wait. That's not right.

His dad wouldn't want him to clean. No, no. That's Cap-

"Looks like you have a mild fever. I'm sorry for not stopping you earlier. Let's get you cleaned and then you can rest. Okay, Eren?"

He feels like his senses are too much. The smell of sweat stings his nose. The voices of the nursing staff around him sounds too loud. Senses overload, he vaguely recalls someone telling him once. There's a strange iron taste in his mouth that shouldn't be there. He didn't bite his hand. Why would he? He's no longer a titan. He's just a seven year old boy. There are no titans.

No one is dead.

"Dad?" his voice sounds scratchy and harsh. It hurts to speak.

"Should I get some hot milk for you?"

Grisha always knows exactly what Eren wants when he's feeling sick. But is this really okay? Is it okay for Eren to feel this spoiled in his dad's arms? Is it really okay for him to receive the love that was meant for the little boy with too green of eyes?

Ah, the world is spinning.

* * *

Marcel can say whatever he wants, but it's clear even to Porco that his brother is most definitely upset about this whole thing. Since their visit to Eren yesterday, Marcel has not stopped sulking.

"I'm not sulking," Marcel would say whenever Porco remarked on it.

"You totally are," is what Porco would say if he knew it would have any effect.

As it is, the only person who would be able to say something like that and make Marcel admit defeat is Eren. Or... at least it used to be. Porco isn't too sure if that's still the case. From how much Marcel is sulking, Porco gets the feeling it'll take some time before even Eren would be able to pull Marcel back down to reality.

"Do you not want to go see him today?" Porco asks.

The look on Marcel's face is so pathetic Porco has to actually look away. His brother is such a pain to deal with. Eren better feel thankful that Porco is taking care of Marcel so that when they do meet up later, Eren won't have to deal with the full brunt of this. Heh. Porco's such a cool guy.

"You're the one who said Eren is Eren. Why are you throwing a fit now?"

"Hey Porco..."

The way Marcel is hesitating right now is not a good sign. What's he so upset about, anyways? Eren is awake. It's all Marcel has been singing about yesterday. So why is he sulking so much?

"It's mechanical. Not mechitorial."

... Huh?

"You looked so proud of yourself when you were trying to explain cars to Eren. But you weren't even using the right terms. I was so embarrassed for you that I couldn't say anything." Marcel says, sighing dramatically.

"Say something!" Porco snaps, his cheeks heating up. "If I'm saying something wrong, say something and correct me! Why the hell did you let me embarrass myself?!"

"If you didn't want to be embarrassed, why didn't you research it first?" comes the logical response.

Porco hates how much that makes sense.

"Lucky for you, Eren lost his memories, so he probably thought you were right," Marcel adds lightly.

"N-no! That's worse! Correct me next time!"

Else Zeke is going to give Porco so much shit for teaching his cute little brother the wrong things... Porco really doesn't want to go through that again, okay?

Marcel laughs without giving any solid answer. Ugh. Who said Marcel's a good person? Oh, right. Eren did. Porco bets that Eren only said things like that so they can get away with pranks more easily.

In the midst of embarrassment and Marcel's laughter, Porco forgets about the original point that began this.

*

"I thought we agreed to visit Eren together!" Colt whines.

"You thought Marcel could wait?" Porco points out.

"I'm pretty sure it was you who couldn't wait and not Marcel," Pieck teases, looking amused.

"You're the worst, Porco!" Colt says.

Hey, how is it that it all became Porco's fault, even though it was Marcel who ran out to see Eren yesterday? Porco only followed to protect his brother in case he runs into a Marleyan. Porco's a good guy in this, damn it.

Marcel looks like he's lost in thought. Not even coming to Porco's defense, huh? That's just like him. It's because Eren isn't here to show off in front of, isn't it? Damn it. Porco will like to remind him that he's Marcel's brother!

"We're going today, aren't we? Isn't that good enough?" Porco tries.

"Eh? Today? I thought we're not allowed until at least next week?" Annie asks.

Is it like that? Porco and Marcel just walked in yesterday and no one questioned them. Or maybe that's because Dr. Grisha figured Eren would want to see Marcel? As bitter as it makes Porco to admit that, he was probably only let inside because he was with his brother.

"Next week? It's not today?" Reiner glances at them nervously.

Everyone glances at Reiner, who has been nothing but flighty since Eren went down. No one blames him for Eren protecting him, especially since Eren is alive. But it seems that Reiner hasn't forgiven himself. Jeesh. It's not like Reiner was trying to kill Eren (not that he'd be able to. There's a reason why Reiner's at the bottom of their group). They all know what kind of person Eren is. Besides, with Eren's memory what it is, Porco doubts Eren even remembers Reiner.

"You should come with us today," Porco decides.

"If you guys are going, then I want to go!" Colt declares.

"Will the higher ups be okay with you wandering in Marley territory?" Pieck asks him.

Oh right. Colt's uncle betrayed Marley blah blah blah. That sucks. So he can't even come to the hospital even with the Warrior Candidate armband? What a rotten uncle. Colt should just do what Porco and Marcel do and not have one. It makes life so much easier.

Colt's expression falls, looking gloomy. "Good point. Probably not... Ugh... Tell Eren I wanted to see him, okay?"

"So it's just going to be you, Marcel, and Reiner today?" Annie asks.

Porco glances at Marcel to see if he has anything to say. But it looks like his brother hasn't noticed this conversation at all. Just what is he thinking so much about that he's blanking so much? Oh. Dumb question. Eren, right? His dumb brother only has one mode.

"Guess so. You don't want to come with?"

Annie shakes her head. "I promised dad I'll be home early today."

"Your dad's so strict," Pieck sighs. "I have to get my arm checked up today, so it's a no-go for me, either. Maybe if they'll let me get that check up at the Marleyan hospital... Oh, Bertolt, what about you?"

Bertolt looks determinedly at them. "I-I want to see Eren!"

Looks like it'll be the four of them today. Well, five, counting Zeke. But it looked like Zeke explained the situation to Magath to get permission to go straight to the hospital once his duties are done. Lucky. Porco wishes they could skip training to see Eren, too.

Porco glances over at Marcel to see how he's doing, but it looks like Marcel still hasn't heard. It doesn't look like his brother is sulking anymore. But is this really any better? Ugh. Marcel is such a pain to deal with when Eren isn't nearby. Porco can't wait for Eren to finally be out of that hospital and by their side again.

"Hey Marce?" Porco calls.

"H-huh?"

Yeah, this guy hasn't been paying attention at all.

"What's that? You don't want to see Eren today?" Porco says, knowing it'll get a rise.

Marcel gives Porco an annoyed look that quickly turns into a teasing grin. "Are you sure you want to see Eren after your... 'mechitorial?'"

"Mechi...?" Pieck asks.

Porco tries to stop his brother from telling the story in front of everyone, but he's a step too late. With a gleeful grin on his face, Marcel tells everyone the embarrassing story of how Porco misinformed Eren. Now everyone would know to point their finger at Porco if Zeke asks who taught Eren the wrong things.

Ugh! One of these days, Porco will find a way to knock his brother down a peg!

*

"No, no. You can say that because you weren't there. It was terrifying! I've never seen anyone push themselves that hard, let alone a kid!"

"There's no way that Dr. Grisha would let it come to that. He would have stopped it far before it got to that point."

"That's just it. Dr. Grisha was as frozen as we were. But if he didn't move when he did, Eren probably would have to stay here longer. That kid's eyes were so... lively. No wonder he survived those gun wounds."

Porco's head snaps towards the gossiping nurses. They're talking about Eren. Did something happen? He should just be in his private room, reading books with Zeke and going over letters, right? Away from any kind of danger? He glances at the others to check if they noticed.

Marcel is cheerfully introducing them to the nurses so they're not alarmed by bunch of Eldians wandering the hospital, so he probably didn't hear. Reiner looks like he's too nervous to be able to process anything that's happening around him. Bertolt is taking in the sights like a tourist. Jeesh, to think Porco would be the most aware in their entire group. Hey, doesn't that mean he's moving up in the world?

"I... wouldn't mind if he stays a bit longer... N-not because I want him to be sick. But... having Dr. Grisha around has been really... helpful."

"You know he's married?"

"T-there's no problem in looking from afar!"

No, no. Go back to talking about Eren. Damn these Marleyans. Why can't they talk about things that people actually want to overhear? No one cares about Dr. Grisha!

"We're moving, Porco. Pay attention!" Marcel calls out.

Hilarious, coming from Marcel who was spacing out the whole day. But now that they're going to see Eren, he's suddenly alert, isn't he?

Heh. His brother's so obvious.

"Coming!"

*

"So uh... w-when you say 'memory loss,'" Bertolt begins uncomfortably. "W-what does that... mean?"

The four of them are following a nurse to where Eren's private room is. Porco is sure they don't need a guide, but this is probably a precaution to prevent bunch of Eldians from running around in their hospital.

"Hm? It means exactly that. He doesn't remember things," the nurse says absentmindedly.

Bertolt doesn't look very satisfied with that answer. He glances towards Marcel for a better explanation, but Marcel's eyes are glued to the ground. What's his problem now? Porco sighs and decides to step in.

"He didn't remember either of us." Porco motions between himself and Marcel. "And he couldn't remember how to read or what a lot of things were. He thought the lamp cord was a tail."

"W-wait, he couldn't remember either of you...?" Bertolt asks slowly.

There's alarm in his eyes, which is stupid. When was it that they were all laughing at Porco's "mechitorial?" Why the hell did Bertolt think Porco told that to Eren if not because Eren forgot?

"Eren remembered Porco," Marcel says.

His voice is light and teasing. But there's something about the way it's said that makes Porco uneasy.

"Not really. He didn't know my name or anything. He just recognized my face."

Oh. That came out a lot more bitter than Porco expected. He thought he was happy that Eren remembered him, even if it was just a passing flash. But maybe he overestimated himself? Because at the end of the day, he wanted-

"Oh. It looks like he's not in his room," the nurse says, interrupting their talk.

That's just like Eren. Making more work for everyone else...

The nurse motions at the plastic chair out in the hallway. "Feel free to move these into the room while you wait for him. Just make sure to return them out here, okay?"

She watches them as they grab the chairs to move into the room without offering help. That makes more sense. Porco thought she was being far friendlier than a typical Marleyan. Once the four of them have a chair inside the room, she closes the door and lets them be.

Porco lets out a breath of relief. "I thought she'd never leave."

"W-where do you think Eren is...?" Bertolt asks.

"Bathroom probably."

Bertolt nods at Porco's answer without any further comment.

The four of them settle down next to Eren's bed. After a beat of silence, Marcel picks up one of Eren's book on the bed. Porco doesn't know what he saw. But Marcel's eyes soften. What a creep.

"What?" Porco asks, trying to peer at the book.

Marcel surprises him by showing him the messy notes scribbled all over the page.

"His handwriting sucks as always."

Then why does Marcel sound so proud?

Reiner, who has been quiet this entire time, suddenly stands up. "W-w-water. I-I want to get..."

He trips over his chair, scrambles back up, and heads for the door. Porco doesn't know exactly what's there for Reiner to trip on again (His feet? His own nerves?), but Reiner face-plants. Oh gross, is that guy crying on the ground?

"A-are you okay?" Bertolt asks as he rushes to Reiner's side.

Porco is just about to tell Bertolt to leave Reiner there when the door opens.

* * *

Okay. Eren has decided.

This wheelchair thing is most definitely useful and convenient, but man, it's so damned annoying. He doesn't need anyone to babysit him to use the bathroom, alright? Besides, wouldn't it be better for his body to get used to walking around instead of being carted? When he pointed that out to Zeke, he received a firm lecture about not pushing himself and blah blah blah. What would Zeke know? He wasn't even there when Eren collapsed during physical training. And by the time Zeke arrived, Eren's fever was gone.

"There you are, Eren! Your friends are here to see you!" a nurse calls out.

For just a hopeful second, Eren's heart races at the thought of Armin and Mikasa waiting for him. He squashes the feeling down as ruthlessly as he can. What the hell's wrong with him? There's no way back. He knows that. But his dad is here. So why can't Mikasa and Armin? Maybe they were just waiting to see him again. It's okay to believe that, right? That he will see those most important to him again here?

"They're waiting for you in your room," the nurse continues with a giggle. "You're so well-loved, aren't you?"

Eren supposes that he can't deny that. Whether it's this world or his own, he has been well-loved by his family and friends.

"So for their sakes, you have to know your limits," Zeke begins before launching into another lecture.

Please spare him.

*

The nurse who told Eren about his friends opens the door for them. Eren stares into the room for a second, trying to figure out what's going on here.

There's a kid on the ground, possibly crying judging from the way his shoulders are shaking. Another kid is by his side, looking up at Eren, the nurse, and Zeke with wide eyes of fear and guilt. Eren honestly doesn't want to know so he quickly look away from the two of them. Marcel and Porco are by Eren's empty bed. Even though he tried really hard not to be hopeful of seeing Mikasa and Armin, he feels his heart squeeze in disappointment anyways. See? He should just let them go. Instead, he should focus on the people that are in front of him. 

Is Marcel looking through Eren's book? Hey, there's this thing called privacy and...

Wait.

No, no. That's not what he should be focusing on.

Because wait a minute. Aren't these two kids on the ground...?

His body moves before he fully registers it. And by then, his hands are reaching for the two on the ground as his legs give out from under him. It seems he might have overdone it a little during physical training today. He can't quite put strength in his legs. How embarrassing.

One of the kids move towards Eren, his brows furrowed in worry. That sincere look of concern sickens Eren to no end. Damn it. Damn it. This bastard still dares to make that kind of a face after all that he's done? Even if Armin isn't here, even if Eren doesn't have his titan, he can still make Bertolt suffer.

After all, he promised, didn't he?

That he'll make Bertolt's and Reiner's lives a living hell before killing them?

His hand grabs Bertolt by the front of his shirt. His grip isn't strong enough to make a fist or keep Bertolt there. Damn this weak body. So Eren compromises.

He stands up, using Bertolt's body as support, and smashes his forehead as hard as he can against Bertolt's stupid face. There's a muffled cry that Eren doesn't register. But he sees Bertolt fall backwards, clutching his nose. Hah. Pity that, bastard.

Next is-

He paused too long to revel in victory. Two arms wrap around him from the back, clutching tightly. Damn you, Reiner. Are you still not satisfied after destroying everything? Was crushing their hope, killing their comrades, and betraying their trust not enough? If he thinks Eren will just roll over and take this, then Reiner better think again.

Eren digs his elbow into Reiner's gut. As he figured, Reiner's grip on him loosens. Hah. Not so mighty now, are you? Eren turns, lips pulling into a manic grin. Snapping Reiner's spine should do the same as cutting it off, right? He just needs to-

There are tears rolling down Reiner's face.

It makes Eren pause just long enough for Reiner to throw his arms around Eren again. But not in a "I'm going to kill you" kind of way that Eren was expecting. But more like... Like a small child begging for comfort. Eren tries to take a step away to dodge it, but it seems this was too much excitement.

His knees give out the same time Reiner's arms touch him. The momentum pushes the two of them down to the ground. It should have been just a short fall, but it knocks Eren's wind anyways. By the time he is able to focus again, there are hot tears falling onto his face from Reiner's eyes.

"I'm sorry," comes the choking sob. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

That's not fair. That's so not fair.

How is Eren supposed to keep fighting, supposed to keep bashing that ugly face in, if Reiner keeps...

_"So what do you want these murderers to do?! Do you want us to repent? Do you want us to apologize?"_

What a thing to remember right now...

To be utterly honest, Reiner, yes. He knows it wouldn't have changed anything. He knows in the grand scheme of things, it won't bring back the dead. It won't undo the hurt and the betrayal.

But Eren wanted to hear it anyways.

Reiner saying sorry.

_"The Reiner and the Bertolt you know are gone! And if all you want is to cry about it, then go ahead! Keep crying!"_

Yeah. Yeah. He gets it already.

These children before him right now aren't those traitors. These children haven't caused that grief. This isn't the Reiner who betrayed him. This isn't the Bertolt who knocked down the walls. These two are just small children that have yet to wrong the world.

Eren feels the fight leave him. Damn it. Damn it all.

He grabs Reiner by the front of his shirt and yanks him down. He puts his hand on Reiner's head, hiding Reiner's crying face by burying it against his shoulder. Reiner's hands grip Eren almost desperately. It seems Reiner needed this as much as Eren needed to hear those apology.

"Shut up, stupid. It's fine," Eren grumbles.

And for the first time since Reiner told him the truth, he actually feels fine.

*

Zeke's lecture extends to include all the kids, much to Eren's amusement. But the minute Zeke spots the beginnings of a grin on Eren's face, his attention gets hyper-focused on not being reckless and blah blah blah. It's like Zeke inherited Carla's ability to tell when Eren's planning on something mischievous.

"I tripped," Eren says as innocently as possible. That's his excuse anyways as to why he headbutted Bertolt and elbowed Reiner in the gut.

For just a second, it looks like Zeke might call him out on it. But he surprisingly doesn't. Instead, he lets out a soft sigh.

"Please be careful," Zeke says, looking at Eren with such sincere pleading eyes that makes Eren feel guilty about the whole thing. "I can't stand the thought of losing you again."

"You're not going to."

That came out a lot more haughty than Eren intended it. But there's no reason to take that back.

"I have no plans on going anywhere else."

Once that's out in the open, it feels final. Not like dreadful final, though. It's more of a comfortable final. Like he's slowly coming to terms with it. Like he's starting to feel more open to giving this place a try. Like he's going to be okay, even if it turns out that Mikasa and Armin doesn't exist here even though the traito... That he's trying to accept these two as children and not as the traitors.

"Well, with how you've been so recklessly throwing yourself around, I doubt the doctors or the nurses will agree on letting you go anywhere but to bed," Zeke points out.

It's a little more playful than his lectures.

Eren thinks it's a step in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reiner can't quite recall who he apologized to first. Just that by the time he realized it, he was apologizing. 
> 
> "I'm sorry. It was my fault. Eren was shot because of me."
> 
> Even though they said that they would protect Eren to prevent the Attack Titan's prediction from coming true... Even though he said he would shield Eren from any attacks... The one who ended up being protected was him.
> 
> "Whether it was you or someone else, Eren would have done the same. You have nothing to apologize for."
> 
> Zeke's words are kind but Reiner has a hard time believing him when he looks so grieved. It sounds like empty words. Things adults say to hide their true intentions. When Eren isn't there, it seems even Zeke ends up becoming an estranged adult Reiner never recalls meeting.
> 
> The same goes for any adults that happen to hear Reiner's apologies. 
> 
> "It isn't your fault."
> 
> "It couldn't be helped."
> 
> "That's just how things are."
> 
> Everyone's words echo so hollowly. No one would offer relief to this heavy heart of his. Is that selfish of him? To be desperately searching for relief when he's the one who caused this mess? But if no one would accept his apology, how can he focus on anything but his mistakes? How else is he supposed to move on? For how long must he drown in this helpless guilt like the useless idiot that he is?
> 
> Eren's elbow digs into Reiner's gut with more force than is friendly. 
> 
> The anger seems to make his eyes glow as Eren glares Reiner down. 
> 
> It makes Reiner choke with tears. It makes him so desperately relieved. It makes him feel like he's finally come up to breath after being held under water for so long. Finally, finally. It's not the hollow words that shrug off Reiner's feelings. It's Eren's anger that clashes against Reiner's guilt, acknowledging Reiner's feelings.
> 
> Validating Reiner's existence.
> 
> When the apologies tumble out of his mouth this time, he knows they'll be met with reluctant acceptance. They won't be tossed to the side. They won't be dismissed.
> 
> Because Eren is just that kind of person.
> 
> Even if the entire world resolves to believe that Reiner doesn't exist, Eren will always look him in the eyes and stay with him.
> 
> "Shut up, stupid. It's fine."
> 
> It doesn't sound fine at all. Eren probably won't be satisfied at all until Reiner hands over all his sweets as offerings. But somehow, Reiner's heart feels full.


	4. besides, Eren doesn't have any cool cheat. that goes against male protagonist logic of isekai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Colt were to describe Marcel and Eren in one word, it'll be "unshakable." 
> 
> He doesn't mean that just in terms of leadership or physical ability. There is plenty of that, of course. But he means more in conjunction to each other. It's in the way Eren can confidentially run through a field of mines if Marcel is the one on the comm, giving him directions. It's in the way Marcel can tackle enemy soldiers more than twice his size, knowing that Eren is just a second behind him to provide cover. With just a glance, the two moves without single word uttered between them. Sometimes, they don't even need a glance. 
> 
> It's a surety of people who trust each other unconditionally. 
> 
> "Eh? You guys met for the first time during the Warrior Candidacy Test?" Colt asked once. "I thought you guys knew each other for ages!"
> 
> "I've known Reiner for forever. His mom and my mom are friends. But Marcel and Porco? Never even heard of them until Porco and I sparred," Eren laughed.
> 
> At the mention of the spar, Porco scowled. "That wasn't a spar. You cannot call that a spar."
> 
> "Do you prefer a one-sided beat down?" Eren taunted.
> 
> "It wasn't a... You ass! A spar is a dignified exchange of techniques and blows! You bit me leg after throwing sand in my eyes!"
> 
> Eren rolled his eyes. "If we're on the battlefield, techniques don't mean anything. You should be grateful to me for teaching you that lesson in a safe setting. Right, Reiner?"
> 
> Reiner glanced at them for a second without asking them what they were talking about. Without another hesitation, he said, "Eren's right."
> 
> "You spineless coward! Marcel, I'm in the right, right?"
> 
> They all turned towards Marcel. He patiently listened to what they were arguing about and thoughtfully tilted his head. Then...
> 
> "Come on, Porco. You can't expect to use techniques when the enemy is dropping bombs on us."
> 
> Over Porco's accusations of betrayal, Eren and Marcel lightly touched shoulders while grinning. 
> 
> Unshakable, Colt had thought then. So even if Eren lost his memory, they will always be unshakable.
> 
> ... Right?

"S-so... y-you remember me, r-right?"

Hey Reiner, is that seriously a priority right now?

Zeke is currently looking over Bertolt's nose to make sure that it's not broken. Eren thought that the nurse would do that, but she left after making sure that Eren was okay. It seems kind of weird, but Eren supposes that just means she trusts Zeke to take care of them. Either that or the damage wasn't that bad. So it was just bleeding a lot? Darn. Guess Eren's head isn't hard enough to break noses...

Yet.

Porco, Marcel, and Reiner are sitting by Eren's bedside on what looks to be uncomfortable chairs. They don't seem all that bothered by that, though. So maybe the chairs aren't actually uncomfortable?

"Nope. I don't know who you are at all!" Eren declares, crossing his arms in front of himself.

It's not a complete lie. He doesn't know these children. They don't look anything like the guilt-ridden Bertolt and Reiner who sat on the higher branches, lecturing at Eren for being naive. Hell, they're much too tiny to be the reliable comrades that Eren trusted with his life before the reveal. These kids are not those traitors. He's been telling himself that repeatedly, but it still hasn't fully sunk in yet.

"I-I'm Bertolt. And this is Reiner," Bertolt says, motioning at himself and then at Reiner. "We're your friends."

Go back to getting your nose checked. No one asked you.

Ugh. Reiner is now looking at Eren with dejected puppy eyes. Look, that's not going to make him remember or whatever. So if he could stop staring at Eren, that would be nice. Hm? Why's Marcel making that face? Can these guys please stop making Eren's head hurt?

As if feeling Eren's gaze, Marcel meets eyes with Eren. He looks taken back for a second before offering a sheepish smile. Well, Eren supposes he likes that better than Reiner's puppy look. Any second now, Eren is waiting for Reiner to start pathetically whimpering, too.

"You say friends, but you guys are all wearing the same uniform." Eren bites his tongue to stop himself from saying the rest of his thoughts.

His luck can't be so bad that they're all comrades again, right? Are they going to betray him again? What? Are they suddenly going to admit to being the reason why Eren is currently in this hospital bed right now? The reason why that little boy was so desperate enough to force Eren here?

"We're Warrior Candidates. You don't remember that?" Porco asks.

Candidates for what? "Warriors?" Why does that word give Eren such an unpleasant feeling?

"Looks all good here," Zeke says lightly as he leads Bertolt back to the group. "I need to talk to dad really quick. Can I trust you guys to protect Eren?"

Talk to Grisha again? Why? Is it about this "Warrior Candidate" thing? Or is Zeke just saying that to give the kids some time to talk? Eren might not know Zeke all that well, but that kind smile Zeke gives them makes him think it's the latter. At the very least, Eren's liking this "older brother" business a lot more than Mikasa's suffocating clinginess.

"We'll protect Eren!" Reiner blurts out.

Eren forces the bitter remark on his tongue down. Not the traitors, he reminds himself.

*

"Oh, that's right. Marcel."

At the sound of his name, Marcel looks to Eren with the most hopeful look. It makes Eren feel like a villain. He's pretty damned sure that whatever it is that Marcel thinks he's going to say, it's not going to be that.

Can these guys stop making Eren feel guilty with just a look?

"This is my book," Eren says, holding up the book he saw Marcel flip through earlier. "Don't look through it without permission. It's rude!"

See? Look at that frozen expression on Marcel's face.

Okay, okay. Eren is sorry. Flip through the books if you really want to. It's not like Marcel will be able to read what Eren wrote anyways. Although the written language that they use seem similar enough now that Eren has looked at it long enough, but it's not intuitive at first glance. Someone smart like Armin might have no trouble with it, but Eren hasn't gotten to that level of comfort yet.

Marcel takes the book from Eren's hands and opens the back cover. He turns the book towards Eren, pointing at something written there. It doesn't look like Eren's handwriting. And judging from the fact that this guy knew to flip here...

There's a bad feeling in Eren's stomach.

"Eren, can you read this?"

Marcel's voice is sugar sweet. Eren thinks it's an attempt to hide the obvious hurt. Damn it. No matter how he tries, he's going to keep hurting these kids, isn't he?

With a soft sigh, Eren turns towards the writing. He silently sounds it out, finger just under the letters and...

Wait.

Isn't this...?

Eren's eyes snap towards Marcel, who seems to be staring intensely at Eren. When their eyes meet, Marcel immediately gives him an excited smile. What is it that he wants? What does he think that he'll get by doing this? Eren honestly doesn't know.

"This isn't my book?" Eren asks, even though he knows the answer.

Don't look at Eren with those disappointed eyes. Even if Eren wants to, he can't be what he doesn't know. Is the explanation of "memory loss" not enough? But Eren really doesn't know how else to cover this up. It's not like anyone would believe that he's from another world. So the best thing he can do is let these guys fill in the blanks and not offer anything on his end. That way, it's not as if he's the one lying to them. 

"It's mine," Marcel says lightly.

Eren opens his mouth and then closes it. What the hell is he supposed to say that? "My bad, go ahead and read as much as you want?" How the hell was he supposed to know that this book wasn't his? Damn. And he scribbled all over the thing, too. If Marcel is anything like Armin, he'll doubtlessly pout and hold a grudge for a long time.

"S-sorry. I... I didn't realize... er... I-I kinda wrote all over it... Sorry! H-how can I make it up to you?"

If this was Mikasa, Eren could soothe it over with sweet words or a promise to never do it again. If this was Jean, Eren would just hit him a few times and they'll both get over it. If this was Armin... Well, Eren would have no choice but to put his life on the line to beg for forgiveness and hope that it's enough. The question now becomes which one Marcel would be.

"Dessert! Give me a bite of your dessert, and I'll forgive you."

... Huh?

D-dessert? That's it? His book was vandalized and all he wants in return is some sweets? Does this guy know how expensive books are? Yeah, sugar is expensive, too. But at the end of the day, having a book is worth more since it can last longer and transmit knowledge. It's because Marcel's a kid, isn't it? But even as a kid, Eren's certain he respected books more than sweets. Or maybe that was because of Armin breathing down his neck?

He scowls.

"A bite of dessert? I scribbled all over your book, and that's worth a bite of a dessert to you? What's wrong with you?"

It's not just Marcel that looks confused. These kids are all so damned disrespectful. They never met Armin, and it really shows.

Never met Armin, huh...?

"It's a book! That's worth at least three desserts!"

What's with these blank looks? What? If they have a problem, they should just say it.

"You're... going to give me three of your desserts?" Marcel asks slowly. Just to make sure he's not imagining this.

Eren nods seriously. "It's the least I can do. I ruined your book."

Marcel looks lost. Like he doesn't know where he is. But Eren gets the feeling that reminding him that this is a hospital won't do much good. Is it that big of a deal to put desserts on the line? Aren't these kids way too attached to sweets? Hold up. Don't tell Eren he's supposed to also-

"Eren, Marcel gave that book to you. You don't owe him anything, especially not desserts," Porco says.

He gives his brother a disgusted look. And it's not until then that the situation finally sinks in.

"You lied to me?" Eren asks Marcel.

That alarmed guilty look on Marcel's face at least lets Eren know that it wasn't on purpose. What a relief. He's not an asshole. It's just that his thoughtless joke had unintended consequences. But that's something that Eren can work with. Someone who is an asshole through and through won't change. Don't look at Jean. That was a special circumstance due to extraneous circumstances. And if Eren can help it, he'd rather these children not go through something like that.

"I-I was going to tell you, but then you offered three of your desserts, so... I... S-sorry. I didn't mean to trick you."

Good. Good. That's sincere. This kid won't grow up to be rotten like Jean. But still, it is pretty worrying...

"Desserts mean so much to you that you'd lie and trick people?"

Eren should teach this lesson now so that Marcel grows up to be a good kid.

"W-wait, that's not-"

Eren sighs, disappointed. "So that's the kind of person you are."

Oh, maybe that was too far. Marcel just froze. H-he's not having a panic attack or anything, right?

Porco sniggers. So this is all within reason? If his brother is laughing about it, then it must be. Whew. That's good. Eren meant this to be a friendly lesson. Not something brutal.

"Eren, do you know how to write your name?" Bertolt asks, hijacking the conversation. "Shall I show you?"

The Bertolt in Eren's memory is someone who stuck to the background. With the most uncertain look on his face, he meekly hid behind Reiner. Someone who let Reiner shoulder the responsibility and heavy decisions. Someone who kept his head down and allowed himself to be pushed around. Someone who ran around like a little kid, blaming everyone else for the sins he committed.

But seeing that soft smile as Bertolt excitedly looks at Eren, seeing Bertolt meet eyes with Eren as he takes the initiative... It feels like Eren is looking at someone completely different from the one he's met before. Someone who vaguely resembles that traitor is a lot easier to deal with.

"Zeke taught me," Eren says.

It still comes out sharper than he intended. He's going to have to work on that.

"W-want to see my name?"

Reiner is brimming with excitement. He doesn't bother waiting for Eren's answer to pick up the pen that Eren's been using. For just a tense second, Eren fears that he'll punch Reiner for trying to write on one of the books. But it seems this Reiner has more of a brain than the one that Eren met (okay, that's probably not fair. The Reiner that betrayed Eren was still top of their training squad).

"It's like this," Reiner explains as he slowly writes on his hand.

Then he holds his hand up for Eren to see. It's written carefully and neatly with big loops. Completely different from how the traitor Reiner writes. Small and mature handwriting that Eren tried to imitate so much seems to overlay what is actually written.

He places his finger over the letters on Reiner's hand, tracing it while sounding it out. It's in a different language. It's written with a different enough handwriting.

So why does he feel so damned-

"M-my name is like this." Bertolt takes the pen and writes his name under Reiner's.

"Bertolt Hoover" written under "Reiner Braun" on that small hand.

Hah. How ironic. Even here, you two-

Porco snatches the pen from Bertolt to scribble his own name on Reiner's hand. Due to how big the other two wrote, there's not much space. But that doesn't seem to make Porco pause at all. He just writes his own name over everyone else's.

"And this is mine," he says proudly.

"Why are all of you writing on me?" Reiner asks.

But now the image shifts. There's a messy writing covering up the names of the traitors. The neat handwriting is nowhere to be found. It cannot be found. And instead, Eren finally sees the loopy and careful writing of children in front of him.

That was dangerous. He almost thought of these kids as traitors again.

If Porco hadn't interrupted like that, Eren fears he might have tried to beat these two again.

Porco glances at Eren and grins. "My handwriting's awesome, don't you think?"

"I can't read anything now," Eren points out.

But he would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate this.

* * *

"Anything else you want to know how to write? If you want, I can make a list for you to study," Marcel offers.

How sad. He sounds so damned desperate.

But he doesn't know what else to try. It's grating. Porco is one thing. But Reiner? Bertolt? Why is it that the distance between himself and Eren keeps getting larger while everyone else's distances seem to be shrinking? He has to be doing something wrong. But what?

Just what is he doing that's so different from what they're doing?

"I think I figured out the commonly used words for the most part, but there are still a few things I'm confused about. Like uh... Shoot, the doctor told me what it was but I already forgot... I hope he doesn't quiz me tomorrow..."

A doctor has been helping out? Does Eren mean his dad? There's no way that a Marleyan doctor will help out, so it has to be, right? Does... Eren not know who Grisha is? Is that something that they should tell him?

"Hm? Ah, no. Not my dad. Dr. Archbard."

That's... the doctor that Eren called an asshole yesterday. When the hell did they become friends? Wait no, this is a Marleyan they're talking about. There's no "friendship" here. Then what exactly was that doctor doing? Marcel doesn't like what this implies. Just in case, he better go over the words that the doctor did with Eren.

*

When Zeke returns, it's with a tray of food for Eren.

"You guys should start heading back," he advises the rest of the Warrior Candidates. "Your parents must be getting worried."

Marcel takes that to mean they've taken up too much of Zeke's time with Eren. What a BroCom. Zeke had practically the whole day with Eren already. Give the rest of them some time, too.

"Wait, Marcel."

Those words alone would normally be more than enough to stop Marcel. After all, it's Eren calling for him. But Eren grabs his hand on top of that. Does Eren not trust him to stop? No, no. He's probably overthinking it. He's just thinking everything in a negative light because he's feeling down. Yeah, that's it.

Maybe Zeke is right to drive them away so Marcel has some time to cool his head.

"What's wrong?" Marcel asks, trying to sound bright.

He's aware that the others are watching the two of them. He's aware that Zeke is putting the tray of food on the counter for now as he grabs a lap table for Eren. He's aware that Porco looks a second away from kicking him. He's aware of all of that.

But right now, his eyes are on Eren. Eren reaches over for the tray on the counter and...

"Since you like dessert so much."

Eren holds the orange jelly on a small plate and a spoon from his tray out for Marcel to take.

Marcel hears the faint disbelieving exclamations from the others in the room. But they're only reacting like that because they're not watching Eren carefully enough. Eren's silver eyes sparkle with mischief. There's just the smallest of leans to the right, making Marcel wonder if Eren has noticed yet that the person who's supposed to be there is missing.

This is a prank.

Rather, this jelly doesn't taste like it should. Marcel guesses that there's medicine mixed in it. Pft. It's so cute that Marcel wants to laugh. Because this is something that he recognizes. This is Eren that he knows. Isn't that the same as Eren silently asking him if he's okay? Isn't it the same as Eren reminding him that nothing has changed?

Even if Eren doesn't remember, they're still friends.

He suddenly feels like a weight has been lifted. It's okay. It's okay. Everything will be okay.

"I'm the one who was in the wrong, Eren. If anything..."

Marcel takes a spoonful of the jelly and holds it up for Eren to eat. He makes sure to keep his smile friendly.

"I should be feeding you. Don't you think?"

Hey Eren, what's that expression supposed to mean? There's enough of annoyance in it for Marcel to think that Eren is upset. But that grin looks awfully amused. Marcel can't recall seeing an expression like that on Eren's face before. His belief that everything is fine seems so damned wrong.

"You're horrible!" Eren laughs.

"Your action doesn't line up with your words," Porco points out.

Eren is graceful about it, though. He eats the offered jelly and, as Marcel expected, grimaces at the taste. Even though Marcel thought he'd feel better when he saw Eren's laugh and smile, he can't quite feel at peace.

"If it tastes that bad, feeding it to someone else is irresponsible, don't you think?" Marcel asks. He meant it to be sweet. He meant it to be joking. But his bitterness won't disappear.

"The jelly tastes bad?" Zeke asks.

He motions for Marcel to hand the plate over, so Marcel does. He sniffs it with a frown and takes a small bite of the jelly. Zeke's expression is stiff. It's clear that he's going out of his way to keep his opinions hidden from all of them.

It's not until then that Marcel realizes that something isn't quite right. If everything was fine, wouldn't Zeke laugh and say that his little brother is smart for finding where the medicine is? No, no. There's something definitely more to this.

"Eren, does the dessert always tastes like this?" Zeke asks.

"Yeah. There's medicine mixed in, right?"

Eren doesn't seem to think that anything's wrong, judging by his light tone of voice. Since Zeke looks like he's doing his best to not worry his brother, Marcel decides to hold his tongue, too. But that's just for now. Because if he thinks about it logically, there's just one conclusion he can derive from what has been given to him.

"Not even close," Zeke laughs like nothing is wrong. "Your medicine is mixed in your water."

Mixed in the...? T-then what's in the jelly?

Oh. That's a stupid question.

This is a Marleyan hospital. What would happen to any Eldian that stays here?

"Eh? In my...?" Eren stares at the glass of water on his tray with distrust. "So you were lying to me."

Eren, that's not the issue here.

"It's poison, isn't it?" Marcel blurts out.

"P-poison?!"

Everyone looks at Marcel like he's crazy. But that's the only logical conclusion that can be drawn. It was suspicious enough that a Marleyan hospital agreed to take Eren in (especially since they also agreed to let Grisha work here for the duration of Eren's stay). Why would any Marleyan go that far for an Eldian, if not to extract some kind of revenge?

"Mind your words. Don't forget where we are," Zeke scolds. He opens his mouth, possibly a second away from starting a lecture, when Eren interrupts him.

"You fed me poison?"

Eren's silver eyes are trained on Marcel. That's alarm clear on his face as he stares at Marcel in disbelief. And no, damn it. That's not what happened. He didn't know that the pudding had poison at that time and-

"Stop, stop, stop! There is no poison," Zeke says firmly. "The jelly is missing sugar. It doesn't taste as sweet as it should, but it's not poison. You can't make that kind of accusation, Marcel. You should know that."

It's hard to believe Zeke. Not because what Zeke is saying doesn't make sense. But because the circumstances become too convenient. How is Marcel supposed to believe that things are fine, that this is really just a case of missing sugar, when they're in a Marleyan hospital right now?

"Pfft. Their cook must be really absent-minded if they kept forgetting the sugar!" Eren laughs.

Wasn't he upset two seconds ago at the thought of Marcel feeding him poisoned pudding?

"S-so they've been giving Eren sugar-less desserts?" Reiner asks.

Yes, you dumbass. Can't you keep up?

"I suspect all the desserts are without sugar," Zeke says with a wry smile. "They make all the food at once and hand it out. There's no time to do anything special for one person."

That last bit is said with an exasperated look towards Marcel. Okay, okay. He gets it. He was stupid for thinking the pudding was poisoned. And now that he had time to calm down, he realizes that this is a hospital. Marleyan or not, doctors are about saving lives first. They wouldn't go out of their way to poison someone. Not to mention it'll look really bad if the one Eldian patient they had died in their care.

Eren pats Marcel's shoulder with a snigger. "Good try, detective."

Marcel feels his cheeks heat up. "Shut up. You thought I poisoned you."

"Rather you than a doctor."

Why is your standard for a friend so low?

And why would Eren ever think Marcel would ever hurt him in any way?

*

"Even with memory loss, Eren is still so cheerful," Reiner remarks as they head back towards the interment zone.

Cheerful is not quite the word that Marcel would have used. But he's not sure if he's feeling like this because he's not in the mood to indulge Reiner.

"I'm glad," Bertolt adds. "I wasn't sure what they meant by 'memory loss.' But it looks like nothing's changed."

What are they talking about? Of course, things have changed. How can they say that so carelessly? Just because they've never been that close to Eren doesn't mean-

"Annnnnnd he's back to sulking," Porco says, shaking his head at Marcel.

"Huh? Me?" Marcel asks.

Porco smirks smugly at him, clearly thinking that he's gotten the better of Marcel.

"You're so obvious when Eren's concerned."

What the hell is that even supposed to mean? Marcel bets that Porco read that in a book and decided to say it because it sounds cool but has no idea what it means. That's just like his brother.

"I hope he can come home soon. Do you think Aunt Faye will make something sweet to make up for all the sugarless dessert Eren had to eat?" Reiner wonders.

And it's not like Marcel was paying attention to Reiner's and Bertolt's conversation. But he prefers dealing with these two over Porco's goading smirk. It is most definitely not because Marcel is running from Porco's words, by the way. Porco is wrong. Marcel just don't want to waste time and energy talking about it.

"I doubt Eren's mom will let him eat all of it, though," Marcel says.

He ignores Porco's sniggers.

"That's true. She is really strict about things like that," Bertolt agrees.

"But since Eren came back from death, surely she'll let this one slide?" Reiner says.

Came back from death...

That's right.

Because of the whole "memory loss" business, it completely slipped Marcel's mind. That's right. The reason why all of this started, the reason why Eren is at this hospital, is all because of Eren's brush with death. It's because Eren was supposed to die, as foretold by the Attack Titan. Those bullets were supposed to be Eren's end.

But Eren didn't die.

What's Marcel doing, throwing a fit about not being remembered?

If, at this moment in time, the Attack Titan's prediction was to suddenly catch up and Eren died, can he truly say that he was Eren's friend to the end? That he said everything he wanted, he did everything he should have.

So that he would be remembered by Eren in his last moment as his most dear friend?

The answer is no.

If Eren were to die now, then this is not how Marcel wants Eren to remember him.

Without any regard for the others, Marcel bolts back inside.

* * *

"W-wow, you already went over this book?" Zeke asks, his eyebrows raised in clear shock and awe.

"I did, but there's still words I don't get," Eren admits.

He would rather focus on this topic of book, but Zeke motions for Eren to eat. But it's hard to be enthusiastic when he's eating oatmeal. When is he going to be allowed to eat hard food? He really misses eating bread with his soup. 

"Your handwriting is all over the map." Zeke chuckles. "These don't even look like Marleyan language anymore!"

That's... because it's not. But there's no need to mention that.

"Dr. Archbard helped me figure things out," Eren says instead. "He even got me yummy pudding, too."

Zeke's head snaps up from the book to look at Eren in wide-eyed shock. "Dr. Archbard? Y-you mean _that_ Dr. Archbard?"

Is that guy famous or something? Why does Zeke look like that?

"Yeah. That guy... You ok, Zeke?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit shocked. That doctor isn't exactly known for being... friendly."

"He's just awkward."

It looks like Zeke is lost in thought, so Eren decides he'll focus on his plain oatmeal. Maybe the idea was to make the meal as bland as possible by removing sugar in the dessert as well? That way, the patients have no choice but to get better if they want to eat something delicious ever again. It's devious but a great tactic. Even Eren wants to get out of here as fast as he can.

"Excuse me!"

That loud outburst is accompanied by the door slamming open and Marcel running in. His eyes lock onto Eren, and he makes a beeline. That expression is so serious. Is something wrong? Did something happen in that short time it took for Marcel and the others to leave? Is everyone okay? Eren finds himself tensing, getting ready to run. Even if his body isn't ready for another fit of action, he will make it work.

"Eren!" Marcel shouts.

He pauses to catch his breath for a bit. Then he turns to Eren with a forced smile that makes Eren wince to see.

"Is... everything alright?" Eren asks slowly.

Realizing that his smile doesn't seem to be working, Marcel drops it. He takes another deep breath. He looks calmer now, which is good. But Eren is still confused as to why he's here.

"I didn't get a chance to say this earlier. But I... I'm really glad that you're okay."

He ran all the way back just to say that? But Eren doesn't think it's right of him to mock that. It's clear that this is very important to Marcel. It wouldn't be right to make fun of someone who is trying to express themself.

"I... I was really hurt at first. That you remembered Porco a-and Reiner but not me. It was frustrating. I thought we were the closest, but you didn't seem to remember me at all. But the more I think about it, the more I think that that's a bad attitude to have. It sucks that you don't remember. But that's not any fault of your own. Getting mad at that and sulking about it isn't going to change anything. And-"

Eren holds up his hand to stop Marcel. "Hey, take a deep breath. You're talking really fast."

Marcel looks frustrated but does as bid. Once he looks a bit calmer, Eren encourages him to try again.

"What I mean to say is let's start over. Let's say that we never met before this moment and go from there. No past history. No past friendship. But this here and now will be our starting point."

It looks like the initial rush of adrenaline has worn off. Marcel looks sheepish and embarrassed. There's a faint blush on his cheeks as he fights to keep his eyes locked on Eren's. Where did his confidence when he was speaking go? It seems to have been replaced by anxious pleading.

What an endearing kid. So this must be that little boy's best friend. One of those precious people that drove that kid into dragging Eren here. Heh. No wonder that kid had been so determined to not leave these guys alone. Mikasa, Armin, this is okay, right?

Eren holds his hand up for Marcel to take.

"My name is Eren Jaeger. Let's be friends."

Marcel beams. He takes Eren's hand without hesitation.

"My name is Marcel Galliard. I would love to be your friend!"

Since there's no way back anyways, it's okay for Eren to start settling here, right?

* * *

Bertolt thinks that they're being dumb by standing outside and peeking in through the door at Marcel and Eren. They should just go in already. But Porco gave both Reiner and Bertolt a snarl that promised a painful kick if they didn't obey him. So even though Bertolt thinks that this is stupid, he goes along with it for now. Tomorrow's training will doubtless be hard. No need to make it harder by adding an injury from Porco.

Marcel and Eren look as close as ever.

It's probably bad of him to think these two will be anything but. If there's just one thing that's shocking...

"Porco, you're not going to join them?" Bertolt asks.

He receives a snort and scorning look in answer. "Are you stupid? Why would I do that?"

Because Porco has this look on his face like... Bertolt decides it's not his business.

"I'm getting hungry. Let's head back," he says instead.

"Marcel knows the way home," Porco reasons with a shrug.

When Reiner makes no move to follow after them, Porco lightly kicks his shin. A warning, Bertolt thinks. When they get back to the interment zone, Reiner's going to get a beating.

"We're going."

Reiner stares for a second longer at Marcel and Eren. Porco kicks him again. Lightly. Second warning. Bertolt winces for Reiner's future.

"I said-"

"Hey, you damned Eldians. Visiting hours are over."

A Marleyan doctor glares down at them with a terrifying scowl. The three of them immediately scramble to apologize.

"W-we're leaving now," Bertolt says.

He's taken a step to leave when he realizes that Marcel is still inside the room. The doctor doesn't seem to have noticed that. But once he does, Marcel will be in huge trouble. And as the Eldians who allowed Marcel to stay, the Jaegers will be in trouble, too, won't they?

But Porco makes no move to collect his brother. Instead, he calmly walks for the exit. What can Reiner and Bertolt do but follow?

*

"W-what about Marcel?" Reiner asks nervously.

"Zeke wasn't kicked out," Porco says. "That doctor came after us is because we were crowding the halls. So as long as Marcel sticks close to Zeke, he'll come home just fine."

"Wow! Porco, you actually sound smart!"

It's not until those words are out of his mouth that Bertolt realizes his grave error.

Porco turns towards him, lips pulling into a snarl. "The hell was that?"

"Bertolt, let's run!" Reiner shouts.

It was probably too naive of them to think that they could run from Porco's anger, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brand new start... 
> 
> What does that mean? 
> 
> Despite having seen Marcel and Eren introduce each other, Bertolt can't quite wrap his mind around it. Is such a thing really possible? Every single one of them are tied to each other by various circumstances and reasons. Even if they were to selfishly claim to start over from the beginning, is it truly possible to reach that kind of a conclusion? Eren may have forgotten many things, but that won't erase the memories that Marcel holds. In the end, doesn't that become too cruel? Both to the person who cannot remember and to the person who must pretend to not remember.
> 
> "Is everything alright?" Bertolt's dad asks.
> 
> "Hey dad, is it better to forget the people you love or to pretend that you don't remember that person?"
> 
> His dad raises his eyebrows, but he doesn't immediately dismiss it as a joke. He seems to seriously think about it before saying, "It's better to forget, isn't it? Then you aren't burdened with grief for being the one to remember."
> 
> Then perhaps what they need to do is hit everyone in the head until they all forget.
> 
> "Excuse me for butting in on such a serious family discussion, but I disagree," Faye says lightly. She pulls out the bread from the oven and sets it on the counter to cool. "It's far better to be the one to remember. Because even if the other party no longer recalls those special moments, they are still alive in your heart. Now... the reason you're bringing this up is because of Eren?"
> 
> Bertolt finds himself flinching, even though there's no accusation in those words. She seems to understand how he feels, though, because she smiles kindly.
> 
> "I'm sure you decided to pretend to not remember to help him out, but he'd be troubled by things like that. Just talk to him honestly. There's no need to pretend. And at the end of the day, remember that the two of you now have the ability to create new memories."
> 
> To... create?
> 
> Bertolt didn't think about that. And suddenly, Marcel's actions seem just a little more understandable. It isn't that Marcel has decided to "start over" by pretending what they had never happened. No, no. It's more elegant than that. Marcel is looking towards the future. Instead of being caught up on things that they have no control over, he's actively shaping the future into one where he can be friends with Eren.
> 
> Devious.
> 
> How terrifyingly clever of Marcel. Bertolt can only applaud in grudging respect. Then before Marcel steals all possible room in Eren's heart, Bertolt better make a move, too.
> 
> "What bread are you making this time?" Bertolt asks Faye, changing the topic.
> 
> She grins widely. "I'm practicing to make the perfect cake for when Eren comes back home. Want to help?"
> 
> "Yes!"


	5. please excuse me as i take a bit of a break with yet another story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Which bedtime story would you like to hear today?" their dad asked with a bright grin.
> 
> "Dad, I'm five now. I'm too old for a bedtime story," Marcel declared, crossing his arms in front of himself.
> 
> But Porco had a book that he loved (Still does, not that he'll tell anyone). If Marcel didn't want a bedtime story, then their dad could read this all for Porco. 
> 
> "A fairy tale about a knight and his princess? You're such a kid."
> 
> "Now, Marcel. You're the big brother here. You said you don't need a bedtime story, so let Porco have this."
> 
> "What's so fun about these stories anyways?" Marcel grumbled. "They're always the same. The knight saves the princess. The end."
> 
> That may be true, but Porco liked them. Wasn't that reason enough?
> 
> "It's fine to have different tastes. What you find boring can be fun for someone else. You shouldn't be so quick to judge," their dad told Marcel.
> 
> The story was, just as Marcel said, predictable. The princess needed help, and the knight adventured through thick and thin to get to her. A happy end awaited the two of them at the end of it all.
> 
> "Why do you even like them so much?" Marcel asked once their dad left after tucking them in. 
> 
> Porco wasn't able to come up with an answer then. All he could do was shrug and bid his brother good night.
> 
> To be honest, even now, he's not sure if he can come up with an answer to why he likes these fairy tales so much. He just does.
> 
> "What's wrong with that?" Eren once asked when he found out that Porco liked fairy tales. "I think it's awesome."
> 
> "Awesome?" Marcel made a face.
> 
> "You know exactly what the ending will be. No matter what, the knight will save the princess. They will be happy. It's reassuring."
> 
> "Do you like fairy tales?" Porco asked.
> 
> Eren grinned. "I like adventures! Knowing that I can come home afterwards and still have my happy ending is cool. So yeah, I like fairy tales!"
> 
> "It's childish," Marcel grumbled, glaring at them both.
> 
> It's still probably one of the few things these two ever disagreed on.

"Looking forward to going home?"

Eren almost thoughtlessly tells his dad that Shiganshina has been destroyed so there is no home to go back to. But that's not true. According to Marcel, this place is called "Liberio." They live in the "Eldian" side of it, in what is called an "interment zone." Eren isn't sure if he understands all of it, but the picture of a map that Reiner tried to draw for him made no sense. He's pretty sure it's because of Reiner's lack of ability, though.

"I'll be glad to be out of here," Eren says instead.

Grisha ruffles Eren's hair. No matter how often Grisha does this, Eren feels like he'll never get used to how comforting it feels.

It's been two weeks since he first woke up in the hospital. He can now walk around without getting a fever or feeling like his entire body is on fire. He has also graduated to eating normal food, which he infinitely prefers to oatmeal any day. And on top of all of that, he can now comfortably read through these adventure series that everyone claims he loves so much with minimal effort. There are still words here and there that trip him up, but it's still much better than not being able to read.

"There's just a few more tests that the other doctors want to do," Grisha reminds him.

And therein lies the problem.

Eren is pretty sure it's past the time to leave the hospital. But the doctors here seem intent on keeping him here longer, even though they don't seem to do anything more than observe him. If Eren wasn't already used to being a test subject for so many people in his own world, he would have found this quite creepy.

"They should just let me go," Eren grumbles.

His dad's smile looks fondly exasperated. And no matter how often Eren has seen it in the last two weeks, he feels his dad's love overflowing for him each time.

*

Eren hears the commotion outside and thinks nothing of it. This is a hospital. Commotions aren't that uncommon occurrence.

But when he returns to his room from the bathroom, he realizes that he probably should have paid a little more attention.

"You have some nerve to keep me waiting!" growls a man that Eren has never met before.

This man is wearing the same uniform that Zeke does, but the armband he has is of a different color. Is this that "Warrior" thing that Bertolt mentioned? Oh, then he must be here for Zeke. Right? It can't be for Eren?

Eren closes the door. He should go visit the garden. The nurses mentioned that the flowers will only stay in bloom for another week or so. If he wants to see them in full bloom, it's probably for the best to go see them now.

The door suddenly slams open. The man from before is seething as he grabs Eren by the front of his shirt.

"You little...!!"

Then he seems to remember where he is, because he gives a suspicious look around them. He lets out a low growl like some kind of an animal and drags Eren into the room.

The door shuts close behind them.

*

"You have some nerve, you damned brat!"

Okay, from this, Eren thinks he can safely arrive on the conclusion that this man must have been waiting for him. Man, what a pain. He wanted to look at flowers... Okay fine. He doesn't actually care about those flowers. He just doesn't want to deal with what a headache this is looking like it'll become.

"No manners at all! Learn from your brother, why don't you? You're so uncute. If you weren't Zeke's little, I would never bother with you!"

Blah blah blah. Is he done? Can he leave? Eren is still a patient, even if he feels fine.

The man finally pauses to stare at Eren. "You should be dead."

Thank you, random stranger. That is exactly what you should tell a recently recovered patient.

"I heard the reports that your eyes changed but didn't think it'd be this prominent." The man yanks Eren up by the front of his shirt to examine his eyes. "Gray, huh? How creepy."

Huh? Color change? No one said that to him. But now that he thinks about it, there were moments when people would just stare at him... He thought that was because of the whole "You forgot me" business. But was there another layer to it?

"What color was it before?" Eren asks.

As soon as the question leaves his mouth, he recalls the small boy. The color of his eyes were probably-

"Green."

Right. That makes sense.

"So you really lost your memories? You don't remember who I am, do you?"

Can Eren get away with a smartass answer? Probably not, right?

"You have an armband that's differently colored than Zeke's but wears the same uniform as him. Given just that, I'd say you're his underling."

Eren said that on purpose to be a brat. But it somehow earns him a conflicted grin. Is this something that the original Eren of this world used to say? Damn. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all?

"You know..."

The man wraps one hand around Eren's throat. And it's not even like this guy is all that big. But Eren keeps forgetting how small a seven year old is. His ability to breath becomes so easily crushed with just this small movement.

"I can still make my prediction come true. There's no need for you to keep living."

Although the hand tightens around Eren's throat, he doesn't feel particularly alarmed. It's probably due to his time in the Survey Corps. The eyes of killers, especially those coming after your life, do not look that gentle. This person will not kill him. It's just that this hand around his neck is annoying more than anything.

"If you meant to kill me, you would have already done so," Eren says. "Are you done with this show?"

The hold tightens uncomfortably for a second longer before the man releases him. With a disgusted sigh, the man shakes his head. Eren takes the time to breath slowly.

"You're as uncute as ever," the man grumbles.

The man begins to walk towards the window. Eren frowns. Did the man put something there? I-it's not like weapons or anything, right? The man doesn't give any feelings of malicious intent, so Eren doesn't think that's right. But why is he moving so quickly over there?

"And here I took some time out of my busy schedule to brave the Marleys to see you. Tch. Why the hell is there never enough time in the day?"

No, it's not that there's something over by the window. It's more that there's someone-

The door slams open by a frantic looking Grisha. His eyes scan the room. Within seconds, he moves to stand in front of Eren as if to protect him from the man.

Did the man know that Grisha was coming?

"Don't get me wrong, I am glad that you are alive, Eren. But sometimes, death is a better choice. You'll live to regret this. That's not a prediction, by the way. It's just sound advice from your elder."

Then the man opens the window and jumps out before Grisha can yell at him to stop.

"Dr. Grisha, did you see him?" a nurse yells as she runs into the room.

Grisha points out the window. "He just left."

The nurse groans. "Does he think this is a playground? I honestly can't stand him!"

Then she's gone, yelling out to the rest of the staff about the whereabouts of that man. Eren figures they'll be giving chase.

"What's going on? Who was that guy?" Eren asks his dad.

"That man is... a rather troubled person. You don't have to worry about him... He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Eren doesn't like the way his question was sidestepped. But he decides to give his dad a peace of mind for now. It'll be better to ask Marcel and Porco about this. If his dad decides to be tight-lipped about this now, Eren being a brat or pouting about it isn't going to change his mind.

"I'm fine. He just said some weird things and left."

Grisha ruffles Eren's hair. "I'm glad that you're okay. If you see anyone strange like that again, it's okay to be impolite as long as they have an armband. Just kick them in the groin and run."

Is that really something a father should tell his son to do?

"Guess the shithead already ran off."

A stout woman leans by the doorway with a sneer. She wears the same uniform as the man before and Zeke. The armband she has is of the same color as the man's. She must be in the same group as that man. A "Warrior."

"Now that he's left, I believe you have no need to be here," Grisha says.

His words are stiff. Is this woman someone dangerous? But she has an armband. That means she's someone that they're allowed to be rude to, isn't it?

"Neither do you. Go lick some Marley boots. I'm here to visit my son."

... Huh?

W-wait. I-isn't Carla Eren's mom? Who is this woman? P-perhaps this is yet another thing that's different? He has a different mom? Is that why his eye color is different? B-but-

"Don't say confusing things on purpose. Eren, don't listen to her. She's just crazy."

But that's not a denial. So this woman is really...?

"She's a delusional woman who can't deal with the reality that your mom married me," Grisha explains.

Oh whew. So Carla is here. She is still Eren's mom. Carla is...

His mom is alive.

There are no titans here. There was never a wall breach. His mom was never eaten. This is the "perfect" world that Eren once dreamed of a long time ago. A world where there are no titans!

"... is my name. I am the holder of the Jaw Titan. Remember? I promised that I'll pass this to you when my term is over?"

Or not.

"W-wait. Titan?"

Eren recognizes the pure dread on his dad's face. But that expression on this woman's face. It's... what does that mean? Before Eren can ask, though, she turns to Grisha with a sneer.

"You didn't tell-"

"There's no need to worry him about things like that! A-and for all we know, Commander Magath might take this chance to let him step down. There's no need for Eren to risk his life again!"

Eren isn't too sure exactly what's going on, but he gets that his dad decided to hold information back in order to protect him from something. This probably have to do with the whole "Warrior Candidacy," right? That's the only thing that he can logic out from all the clues he's been able to gather thus far. But the question is how does a titan fit into this?

"You are a coward and an idiot. Carla is wasted on you."

But she doesn't clarify anything to Eren. She just gives a tight smile and cheerfully says goodbye (only to Eren) before taking her leave. Although she berated Grisha for this silence, it seems she's not in any hurry to break it either.

"Dad?" he asks.

"I know this is selfish. But won't you please allow me to indulge in this delusion for just a bit longer?"

It's because Grisha looks so ashamed and so grieved that Eren agrees. Even if Eren pushes his dad right now, he doesn't think he'll get anything that makes sense. It'll be better to ask Marcel. Unlike Porco, who dodges all questions, Marcel actually makes sense.

He wonders when they'll get here.

* * *

"Zeke, Marcel, Porco," Magath says. "You're not allowed to stop by the hospital for the next few days."

"S-sir?"

No, no, no. Does Magath not realize what will happen if he gives this order? Think about Porco who has to deal with a sulking Marcel!

Magath's scowl look annoyed, but it doesn't to be aimed at them. "The Attack Titan snuck into the hospital that Eren is in and caused some trouble. They don't want any Eldians stopping by the hospital for a while."

Of course, it's the damned adults! They never think about how much trouble they're causing everyone else! And now poor Porco will have to deal with this headache called Marcel. Damn them!

"I guess we can't go today..." Marcel says aloud enough for them all to hear.

If that was said in an off-handed way, Porco would've thought that it was a rare display of childishness that Marcel showed in front of Magath. If that was said in a more disappointed way, Porco would've thought it was his brother's composure breaking in from of a Marleyan. If that was said more quietly, Porco would've thought that it was just a thoughtless comment that wasn't meant to be heard by anyone.

But his brother is devious, especially when Eren is concerned.

This is clearly a ploy.

"We'll go see him later, Porco. Don't cry," Marcel teases.

And now his damned brother is throwing him under the bus.

"Why the hell would I cry about that?! You're the one sulking!"

*

"W-we're... doing what?" Porco asks, suddenly feeling tired.

"We're going to sneak in to see Eren, of course!"

No, no. Don't add that "Of course" like this is an obvious thing. Damn it, Marcel. Is he trying to get them both killed? If a Marleyan gave an order, all Eldians can do is obey without question. Isn't that what Marcel taught Porco when they were little? Why's he going back on that now?

"But don't you think that it's too sad? Eren always looks forward to seeing us. But he won't today because of something he can't even control. So we'll just sneak in for a bit and say hi!"

Eren doesn't look like he cares two shits if they stop by or not. Marcel will have to do better than that!

Probably because Marcel understands Porco so well, he grins widely.

"Doesn't this kind of seem like... Eren is a princess in a tower, waiting for her knights to come save him?"

It feels like a shudder of electricity just went up Porco's spine. And damn his brother. Damn him so much.

Porco likes fairy tales. This is a fact that he doesn't often tell people. But it's the truth. When they were younger, Marcel used to scorn him quite a lot for liking fairy tales. So unless it's a special occasion, Porco doesn't go out of his way to let people know about that.

For his brother to bring it up now...

Damn him for using such a cheap trick. And damn himself for falling for it.

"Eren's knights... huh?"

Porco hates how much he likes the sound of that.

*

"It looks like they put guards around the hospital," Marcel notes with a frown.

Well, yeah. They're trying to keep the Attack Titan from breaking in again. Speaking of, why did he do that in the first place? Zeke was at the headquarter, so it can't be to see him. Did the Attack Titan want to see Grisha? Eren? Whatever the reason, it definitely can't be because he wanted to get a check up.

"Good thing we're trained for things like this," Porco says lightly.

The two of them grin.

*

Although the walls around the hospital may be tall, it's nothing under the combined powers of Porco and Marcel (and some help from a tall nearby tree). The two uses the garden as their cover to make their way towards Eren's room. It's rather disappointing how easy it is to get to their destination. Porco thought that adventures would be a little more... exciting than this.

Eren turns towards the window curiously when Marcel knocks on it to be let in. There's a small pause as those silver eyes lock onto them and...

It turns out that Porco was dead wrong when it came to Eren wanting to see them. Because Eren brightens at the sight of them. He hurries to the window, a huge grin on his face. Porco is really glad that Marcel convinced him to come.

"Marcel!" Eren greets in an excited whisper. "I've been waiting for you!"

... And what's Porco? Does Eren not see him???

Eren helps Marcel inside first. Then he turns to Porco with a small dip of the head as Porco's only acknowledgement. And wait. Wait!

"There's this guy that came in here earlier. He didn't introduce himself but-"

"Attack Titan," Marcel supplies as the two of them helps Porco inside.

"What's his deal? He was so stuck on predictions and whatnot. Doesn't he know that the future isn't set in stone?"

The two launch in a rapid-fire discussion that Porco is much too used to. But this isn't fair. This is so not fair! Marcel said Eren wanted to see both of them! Not just Marcel! But did Marcel only say that because he knew he wouldn't be able to climb that wall by himself? So Porco's just here to prop his brother up?

"I'm here, too!" he snaps at the two of them, interrupting whatever it is that they're talking about.

Both Marcel and Eren freeze and stare blankly at Porco for a second. Then Marcel dares to give Porco that look like Porco's being cute, and Eren... Well, at least Eren looks guilty. But...

Eren reaches up and pats Porco's head. "Sorry about that, Porco."

What the hell does Eren think Porco is?

"Don't patronize me!" Porco snaps, knocking Eren's hand away.

Porco sees Eren shoot Marcel a questioning glance. Marcel beams. Damn the two of them for being as close as always. Porco feels bitter. He should have listened to Magath and stayed away. Why did he have to fall for Marcel's trick anyways?

"For what it's worth, I am happy to see you. Sorry about not saying it faster."

Eren's words are soft. His eyes are gentle. It makes Porco believe in the sincerity of those words.

"Next time, say that first," Porco grumbles.

But he decides that he didn't mind being tricked into coming as much as he thought he did.

*

The three of them sit on the ground by the window so that the bed hides them from view if someone were to open the door right now. They used pillows and books to make it look like Eren is sleeping on the bed. This should at least buy them enough time to hide if someone comes in.

"Predict the future?" Eren asks, brows furrowing in disbelief.

"Only for himself and those who will inherit the Attack Titan next. His predictions are absolute. The only exception thus far have been you."

"Me?"

"He predicted that you'll die. But you didn't. He's probably frustrated because of that." Marcel giggles.

His brother has such a nasty personality. Porco shakes his head.

"Is any of this ringing a bell?" he asks instead.

Eren shakes his head. "To be honest, I'm still stuck on the 'titan' part. Are they... D-do they... er... Turn into a giant human that... that fights?"

"Yeah. We call them Warriors."

There's a small pause as Eren lets that sink in. He breaths out slowly and motions shakily at Porco's armband.

"And we're Warrior Candidates."

"Yup."

"You okay, Eren?" Marcel asks worriedly. "Do you want us to leave?"

Eren shakes his head no. "And how many of these titans are there?"

"Nine special ones. But Marley is missing the Founder. That one can control other pure titans."

"And what are these pure titans?" Eren asks, sounding frustrated.

Porco is glad that they're having this talk now and not at the Warrior Headquarters after Eren returns. He feels uneasy at the thought of someone misinforming Eren on these important details. No, it's not because he himself misinformed Eren about how cars run. They fixed that mistake, by the way.

"They're titans without any special ability or a brain. They blindly eat. So we have to really time releasing them carefully on the battlefield," Marcel says.

"Battlefield," Eren echoes flatly.

He looks a second away from snapping at them but seems to hold it back. Taking a deep breath, he continues his questions.

"So to make sure that I have this straight: We are part of the Warrior Division that specializes in using titans for warfare. The three of us... and Reiner and Bertolt, are 'Warrior Candidates,' set to become Warriors, which is just a fancy way of saying we'll be turning into monsters."

"They're not mons-"

Porco's words are cut off by Marcel.

"Yup. That's correct."

No, it's not. They're not monsters. Being a Warrior is a privilege. Being able to turn into a titan is a special power that's gifted to them. They should be grateful for this chance and-

"Can you tell me more about the special titans?"

"Sure..."

* * *

Eren hopes that Porco and Marcel will be able to get home safely without getting caught on their way out. He wishes he could have helped them out with that, but he gets the feeling that would more likely put a target on their backs. Besides, they seem to have good heads on their shoulders. He thinks they'll be fine.

He does feel bad that he ended up dominating the entire conversation with talks of Titans and the Warrior Division. The two brothers probably didn't stop by just to fill Eren in on the details. He should have asked them what they wanted to talk about with, too.

To think that there would titans even in this world... Not to mention these titans are currently being used for war efforts. What's that like? The Survey Corps had their hands full of trying to just take down one titan. What do you mean setting these titans on their enemy? Eren doesn't think he can stomach setting a titan even on the traitors. Yes, he gets that their enemy shot a small child, which is what rippled into Eren being in this world. But to repay that by setting titans on them?

"This is so messed up," he mumbles to himself.

*

Dr. Archbard brings dinner instead of Zeke or Grisha. Eren can understand that Grisha is busy, but he's a little sad that he hasn't seen Zeke all day. That's not to say that he misses the guy or anything.

Okay, fine. He might be missing Zeke just a little bit.

It's just that he's seen Zeke every day since he woke up in this hospital. It feels wrong not to see Zeke.

"Don't pout at me. It's not like I want to be here anyways," the doctor growls.

"It's not that. I just... thought Zeke would come see me."

The doctor rolls his eyes and sets the tray of food on the lap table Eren has been using for flipping through his books again.

"I thought your brother was grossly attached to you. But it turns out you're just as attached to him."

"It's not attachment!" Eren protests. But he doesn't think he's convinced anyone when his cheeks are heating up this much.

He looks away from the sneer on Dr. Archbard's face in hopes of finding something to change the conversation. He finds it on dinner tray.

"It's the yummy pudding!"

"Hey, eat your dinner first."

"Stingy!"

*

To be honest, more so than keeping Eren here for study, it seems more to him that the hospital staff wants to keep Grisha around.

"I'm flattered you feel that way, but that's not the case at all," his dad assures him. "The problem is that no one knows how to begin the tests to see how you managed to survive being shot that many times in the chest."

Can't Grisha phrase that differently? That makes Eren sound like some kind of a monster.

"If Zeke can't even come visit, then I want to leave," Eren tries instead.

That expression on his dad's face makes him think that there's more to this than the hospital staff not wanting them to leave. It's almost as if his dad doesn't want... Oh, that's right. Grisha promised that he'd tell Eren everything. Is he uncomfortable because of Eren finding out the truth? Then he probably shouldn't mention that Marcel and Porco already said everything.

"Is the world outside that scary?" Eren asks.

Grisha's smile is strained. "It is. It's a terrifyingly scary world out there. If I could, I would like to shield you and Zeke both. But trying to do that is what led us here in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

His dad sits down next to him on the bed and gently runs his fingers through Eren's hair.

"It means I love both you and Zeke very much."

Eren groans. "Dad! You're so cheesy!"

Grisha laughs and plays along with dramatic motions like he's been injured by Eren's words. In the silliness that follows, Eren loses his chance to tell his dad that he rather likes this cheesy moment.

*

Three weeks after waking up in the hospital, Eren is finally given a clean bill of health.

*

"Freedom! Freedom!"

Dr. Archbard's lips are pulled thin, but Eren thinks it's because he doesn't want to be caught smiling.

"Ah, but I'll have to say goodbye to your pudding," Eren realizes.

For just a second, he thinks that the doctor will suggest that Eren stop by for more. But no such words leave Dr. Archbard's mouth. The divide between Marleyans and Eldians, huh? Marcel and Porco had a rather rough time trying to explain it to Eren. It's not that Eren is stupid. He just can't wrap his mind around the stupidity of punishing an entire race of people for something that happened such a long time ago that no one even remembers by doing the exact same thing that you're supposedly punishing this group for.

But hey, Eren's just a fifteen year old stuck in a seven year old's body. What does he know?

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in it. I'll give your dad the recipe."

Despite those words, Dr. Archbard look rather happy about something. Eren wonders if maybe this guy likes it when people enjoy his pudding. It's such a shame that his personality is so unlikable. Otherwise, he'd be able to win points by waving his sweets around.

"If you have other sweet recipes, give those, too!" Eren tells him. He bets he can use those sweets to bribe Marcel in the future.

"Is there nothing but sweets on your mind?"

Eren laughs. "No way! I think about my family and friends, too!"

At the very least, if he doesn't constantly remind himself that Mikasa and Armin are not here, he starts looking for them. He thought he was settling quite nicely here, but that might be too shallow a thought. Three weeks probably isn't long enough for anyone to believe this is home. But he's trying.

The corners of Dr. Archbard's lips curve into a surprising gentle smile. Then he must have realized what he was doing, because he quickly schools his expression into a stern one. Heh. Eren saw through that!

"Once you leave this hospital, you won't be allowed to talk this rudely to a Marleyan. Make sure to correct your behavior else you will get your father in trouble."

"Are you worried about me?"

Dr. Archbard's cheeks flush, but he pretends to hold onto his dignity. "People would talk if a patient from our hospital ended up dead within minutes of walking out."

"Pft! You are worried about me! People are going to talk about you being too attached to Eldians, doctor!"

"You are such a handful... Hey, once you're out in the real world and you find yourself in trouble..."

Hm? Is he going to say something cool like how he'll rush to Eren's defense? Pft. Yeah right. Marcel and Porco emphasized that Eren was only at this hospital due to orders from the top. That kind of fairy tale won't happen.

"Prioritize saving yourself first. As long as you're not dead, you'll be able to find a chance."

But if that comes at the price of someone else's life, Eren doesn't think he'll be able to stand still. He's already suffered that lesson at the hands of Annie's Female Titan. Eld, Gunther, Oluo, Petra, and that's not speaking of countless others, both soldiers and innocent civilians, that just happened to get caught up in this. None of them had to die. If Eren had just believed in his own powers and abilities to fight...

Not that Eren can say that.

"Don't worry, doctor! I'll keep it a secret."

"Keep what a secret...?" Dr. Archbard asks, looking reluctant to hear the answer.

Eren grins. "That you're a good person. Deep, deep, deeeeeeeeeeep down."

It takes everything he has to not burst out laughing at the look on the doctor's face. He probably shouldn't tease adults (let alone a Marleyan) this much. But this is probably the last time he'll be able to. So it should be fine, right?

*

It might have taken this long so that Grisha can finish up whatever it was that he was doing for the hospital. So when Grisha takes Eren's hand and the two of them walk out, Grisha wouldn't have to return here any time soon. Zeke isn't here today. It's probably because it's early morning, and Zeke (and the other Warrior Candidates) have to do their training.

"Ready to see everyone again?"

Well, it's much too late to say that he doesn't want to leave, now isn't it?

"Let's go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe I've been thinking about this the wrong way."
> 
> There's a heavy sigh from the Jaw Titan, clearly not in the mood to deal with his thoughts. But he needs to say it. No, he needs her to hear it the most out of all of them.
> 
> "Maybe this is the chance that I've been waiting for."
> 
> The other Warriors glance uneasily at one another. Then the Cart finally speaks up.
> 
> "What do you mean?"
> 
> "My predictions are absolute. No one's ever been able to defy them. No one. Then as the one person who has, doesn't that make Eren special?"
> 
> The Jaw Titan smirks as if she's the one who was praised. "Of course, Eren's special! He's Carla's kid!"
> 
> "Since then, I've been trying to find ways to see that child in my predictions again," the Attack Titan continues, ignoring her. "But I cannot see him. When I visited him in the hospital, I knew exactly where the staff members were and how they would move. But I never once saw him in any predictions. The minute I saw him physically, the future started to shift. But he still wasn't in any of them."
> 
> "If you don't choose your words carefully, I'll behead you. Marley's orders or not," comes the sharp warning.
> 
> "This child does not have a 'future.'"
> 
> The Jaw Titan moves the same time as the Armored. That's probably the only reason why the Attack Titan doesn't find himself sprawled on the ground with punches raining down.
> 
> "Listen to me all the way before you react. I don't mean that as in he's going to die again. I mean that as in there's nothing set in stone for him. Like he has freed himself from the bindings of Ymir."
> 
> "W-wait, you're not saying...?"
> 
> The Attack Titan forces himself to take a deep breath.
> 
> "I think Eren can change the predetermined future."


	6. nothing quite like season 4 trailer drop that sets the brain on fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "T-t-thank you for taking a chance on me! I promise to work hard!" Faye said when she first started work at Hoover bakery when she was 12.
> 
> By then, Grisha had made himself an integral part of the family clinic, working hard to become a doctor. It wasn't quite that Faye was scared of losing her worth at home. She just... wanted something different. Unlike her brother who seemed so set on staying in the confines of their home, she longed for something that wasn't here. 
> 
> That wasn't this.
> 
> It was selfish. More so, it was rude to the people around her. She was born privileged, especially for an Eldian. But here she was, wanting more. Her parents worked hard to create this peaceful life for them. Her brother worked hard to take on the clinic so that she could do whatever she wanted with her life. 
> 
> Anything that the world deemed possible for an Eldian could do, she would be allowed to do. That was (and still is) the kind of family the Jaegers are.
> 
> So why was it so hard for her to find something she wanted to do?
> 
> When she was younger, she dreamed of airships that flew over the walls so easily. But that was not a future an Eldian was allowed to have (Perhaps if you were to volunteer for the army, you might be allowed on the plane before being sent to your death). So she long tossed that dream out of her life and heart. But now that she was struggling to find something to be passionate about, she found herself confused and lost.
> 
> The only reason she decided on Hoover Bakery was because they said they needed help. It wasn't like she cared all that much about baking or bread. But it was a chance to try something new and different. 
> 
> It didn't change her life in any dramatic way (That came much later, few years after Zeke was born and he was finally old enough to try one of Faye's sweets. But that's neither here nor there).
> 
> She thinks that might have been why she was so taken by Dina. The way Dina stood so proudly and determinedly always caught her eyes. Faye was someone who has more or less everything. She could decide to be a house wife and no one would blink twice at her decision. She could decide to inherit the Hoover Bakery and no one would think it odd. She could decide to work as a nurse at her family clinic and no one would disagree. The only thing she needed was to come to that decision.
> 
> But Dina wasn't like her. 
> 
> Dina's eyes were always set on a far off distance, a future that only she seemed to be able to see. What was that like? To have a goal to strive towards? To not be swayed by anything or anyone. To have an almost single-minded focus to move forward?
> 
> But that kind of drive was rather terrifying to see against a small child. 
> 
> Grisha and Dina, despite having such a loving relationship, always ended up arguing about how to raise Zeke. 
> 
> "He should be given a chance to choose what he wants for the future."
> 
> "He's a child. He needs to be told what to do. Furthermore, he is an Eldian. There's only one future he can have."
> 
> Right. Right. How did Faye ever convince herself that she could do anything? Why did she ever believe that she had a choice? Everything can change within seconds on a whim of a Marleyan. 
> 
> There was really only one future any Eldian can have. 
> 
> Anything else is, at best, a delusion.

The road is paved and lined with neat little stones that must have costed a lot. It's a sight Eren only got to see closer to the inner walls. From how Marcel described it, the living standards for this world seem much higher than what Eren is used to. Running water, for example, is something Eren could never have imagined (They've always drawn water from wells and rivers). So it stands to reason that this might just be the norm around here. Jeesh, what's that like to have that much money and resources?

Street lamps aren't anything new. From what Porco said, these are powered by this strange thing called "electricity" that is invisible to the eyes that causes small fires inside of lightbulbs. There doesn't seem to be any iceburst crystals here. Eren thinks he sees these lightbulbs inside of the lamps from where he is on the ground. If his dad didn't seem to be in such a hurry to go, he would have insisted on trying to climb one to see it clearer. Is the lightbulb in there the same as the one used in the lamp inside of the hospital room? If Eren were to break it, would it truly start a fire?

"Eren, watch your feet," his dad says softly.

There's a hole in the nicely paved road. These kinds of roads, he can't help but to think, must be hard to maintain. Then isn't it better to have dirt roads? You wouldn't have to worry about maintenance. All there is to worry about is little kids not wiping their shoes before coming inside buildings.

"Aren't you Eldians getting too cocky, walking around in broad daylight like this? Your permission papers?"

There are two men blocking the way forward. They're wearing a uniform that's a different color than the ones Eren's used to seeing on Zeke and the other Warrior Candidates. "Public Security Authorities," Marcel had said. "The best thing to do is to keep your head lowered and agree with everything they say. You can vent to me afterwards. Just... don't pick a fight with them."

"Here it is," Grisha says, handing over a formal looking paper.

One of the officers takes a look at it while the other one keeps his eyes trained on... Eren's armband. Does he have a problem with the Warrior Candidate armband? Is that going to give Grisha trouble? Eren has a bad feeling about this.

"Commander Magath's orders, huh? Ain't that convenient?"

Even without the armband, it seems there's still plenty of trouble to go around. Who is this "Magath" guy anyways?

"The 'Warrior Candidate' position you hold is a privilege. A filthy Eldian using our hospital... What has the world come to?"

Eren vaguely registers his dad's polite answer to such aggression. But his attention is drawn by the other officer who, while silent, keeps staring at his armband. What? What's his problem? Eren knows he has to be polite, but does that politeness extends to someone who keeps staring?

"If you were discharged from the hospital, you should be heading straight to headquarters for work. You're just lazy."

Grisha's hold around Eren's hand tightens. It finally draws Eren's attention away from the silent officer to his dad. His dad in his memories have always been a calm man with a drive that pushed him to try to save as many lives as he could (A stark contradiction from the Grisha who mercilessly killed Historia's family). There were few times that he's ever gotten mad.

This moment right here? It doesn't even come close to that. Frustrated, yes. Ashamed, yes. But not quite anger.

Eren squeezes his dad's hand.

"If-"

Grisha shakes his head, cutting Eren off without any further words. He gives Eren a shaky smile before taking on a calmer demeanor to face the Marleyans. It feels a bit like Eren isn't being trusted. But since he doesn't know enough of this world, he probably shouldn't just jump in when his dad looks this frightened. Not to mention there's Marcel's words to consider, too. For their sakes, he'll keep quiet and observe. He'll be able to be a better judge of the situation once he has more information.

"Thank you for your opinion. But as it states in our permission paper, we must return to the interment zone now that our business with the hospital has finished. It wouldn't do for us to take advantage of our privilege as Honorary Marleyans."

The officer sneers and returns the paper.

"Go on then."

Grisha keeps a perfect calm until the officers are no longer around. Then his hands start shaking so much that he pulls away from Eren.

"Dad?"

"I'm okay. Sorry for worrying you. And... thank you for stopping me. You have grown very strong, Eren."

Terrifyingly scary things in the outside world, huh? Eren still isn't sure if he quite understands what just happened. But that fear in his dad's eyes is nothing to laugh at.

"It's not a shameful thing, you know, to put your head down for the sake of your family."

Does Grisha realizes just how forced those words are out of his mouth? Like it's something he's heard so often that he's learned to recite it. Despite the advancement in technology, this world seems socially backwards.

*

The walls to the internment zone are not the frightfully high ones Eren has gotten used to seeing all his life. These feel man-made. Not in the sense that they're cheap, but more so that they don't feel mysterious. These also don't look nearly as indestructible as the Wall Church made the Titan-infested walls sound.

The paved road ends here.

From about two meters out from the gates of the internment zone, the road is made out of dirt. It's a purposeful divide. The walls by themselves were not enough. They needed to make sure that everyone could see the difference in living styles. It's a petty show of power. But Eren imagines it's effective against those who must leave the interment zone often like the Warrior Candidates.

No wonder they were so willing to throw their lives away to become an "Honorary Marleyan." It's the same thing that Jean aimed for back when they were cadets. Work hard now for the sake of an illusionary happy life deep within the walls. And then the dumbass went ahead and threw away any form of safety to chase after titans, but that's neither here nor there.

"Looks like they came out to greet us," Grisha says lightly.

There are Public Security Authorities here, possibly to guard the gates. They seem more lax than the ones Grisha and Eren ran into earlier. Without even bothering to check the paper that Grisha pulls out, they usher the two in. And waiting for them...

"Eren!"

It doesn't register at first. There are someone's arms wrapped around him. It's warm. Not just physically, but his chest and eyes feel embarrassingly warm. He knows this feeling. It's been such a long time, but he knows this. The scent of freshly done laundry and soap. The feeling of these specific pair of arms around him. The hesitant way he's finally released so he can see the owner of these arms.

"Mom."

*

Carla's hair is cut short.

It's the first thing that he notes. That's right. When he was younger, Carla kept her hair shorter, too. It wasn't until around Eren met Armin that she started to grow it out. Eren is thankful that her hair short. Otherwise, he doesn't think he would've been able to look into the eyes of the woman who looks exactly like his mom did before he abandoned her to die.

"That's right," Carla says, a breathless laughter leaving her mouth. "I'm your mom."

She kisses him on the forehead and hugs him tight. Then and only then, Eren registers the others.

There's an old woman and a younger one who looks to be about Carla's age. It's not until Grisha stands with them that Eren realizes they must be family members. Family...? The only family Eren met outside of his nuclear family were Carla's parents. They died around three or so years before the Colossal Titan first appeared. Seeing that the old woman here looks nothing like Carla's mom, then...

Is this Grisha's mom?

T-then... Over there, that younger woman is Grisha's... sister?

It's such a foreign thought. His dad was found wandering outside the walls without his memories, according to Instructor Shadis. He had nothing but his name. No money, no concept of how things worked...

Huh? Why does it almost sound like what Eren is going through now...?

"E-Eren, d-do you remember us?" the younger woman asks.

"I'm sorry. I don't."

Their expressions are tight but understanding. Eren feels guilty anyways for not knowing who they are.

"I'm your grandma," the old woman says with a strained smile. "And this is your aunt, Faye."

The two stare at Eren, clearly waiting for some kind of recognition. But Eren can't lie to them like that. The apology is at the tip of his tongue, but they cut him short with fond smiles.

"It's nothing to apologize about. We're just happy that you're alive."

*

How suffocating.

Their gazes feel too much like they're waiting for him to recognize them. When he glances at them, they smile gently as if they're fine with waiting longer. It makes him want to throw a fit. Get mad, he wants to tell them. Get mad, he wants to beg.

Please, get mad.

The person that they're waiting for, the person that they're smiling so gently for, the person that they love so dearly is no longer of this world. And Eren currently is a piss poor replacement.

"Home sweet home."

Eren glances up at those words. He was too lost in his thoughts to take better note of where they went. He hopes he doesn't get too lost in this area.

The words "Jaeger Clinic" greets him. It's on a modest sign of a small house. Although he says small, it's still a size larger than most other houses in the area. Did they turn their house into a clinic? In Shiganshina, his dad had a clinic that he went to work in. Sure, he brought some of his work home (much to Carla's groans), but the patients themselves never followed Grisha home.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go in," his grandma says as she gently motions them towards the door.

The front door opens to a hallway that leads to a living room area. The first doorway to the left leads to the kitchen-dining area. There appears to be stairs in there to the upper floors. But it looks like they're first going to the living room area. The second doorway to the right is closed. Eren decides he'll ask about that area at another time. Maybe it's a study? Or maybe the bathroom?

It seems that the living room has been changed to be a makeshift clinic. There are six beds with open curtains around them. Eren guesses that the curtains can close all the way for privacy. It looks like there's a room further back. Perhaps that's for surgeries?

Currently, it looks like there's just two patients here and...

An old man turns towards them. His eyes light up, and he grins widely. With quick words to excuse himself, he rushes to them.

No, that's not quite right.

He rushes to Eren.

"Look at you, up and about! Ah, wait. The order is wrong. Eren, do you remember me?"

From how things have been, Eren can logically guess the identity of this old man. But that's not what's being asked.

He shakes his head no.

The disappointment is crushing. Eren opens his mouth to apologize and-

There's a hand on Eren's head, ruffling his hair lightly in the same way his dad does. How warm. Warm and kind. So this is the kind of family the Eren of this world treasured.

"That's alright. I'm your grandpa. I'm sure it's scary right now because you don't remember us. But I promise you, everything will be okay."

His chest feels so full of guilt that he feels like choking.

Is this really okay?

"Congratulations on your recovery, Eren!" the two patients call out cheerfully.

"T-thank you..."

How friendly. This clinic must take care of lighter injuries of the people in the interment zone. Then is there an actual hospital for Eldians in here? From how people said things, it sounded like the hospital that Eren was in typically isn't open for them. So that has to be the case.

"Let me finish up here. You guys go and get Eren settled in!"

*

The upstairs seems to be their private rooms. Thankfully for Eren, each door is labeled except for the bathroom.

"Grandma and Grandpa."

"Carla and Grisha."

"Faye."

"Eren."

No sign of Zeke's name anywhere. That's odd. Does he not live with them? Is it a teenage rebellion thing? He definitely didn't seem like he had a lover he lived with. So...?

"And this is your room," his dad says, opening the door for him.

He'll ask later.

*

This room is much smaller than the one Eren remembers in his memory, but that probably has more to do with how many people live in this house together. Disappointingly, there's no window in this room. There's a bed in the furthest corner of the room from where the door is. The desk is squeezed in there (How mean of them. They have it facing the wall). There's no sign of a closet, just a dresser on the other side of the room.

It feels cramped.

"Take your time to get used to your bearings. We'll have a celebratory meal at dinner, so lunch won't be anything fancy. Any requests while I'm still here?"

Eren glances at his dad, trying to think of any such request.

"Oh, make sure to give the pudding recipe to mom!"

It prompts a soft laugh and a fond ruffle of the head. "I'll make sure of it."

*

Judging from the layout of the house, Eren's room is above the clinic-living room area. So if he moves around too much, he bets the patients (and his family) below can hear that. It was probably set up like this to prevent him from doing anything rash. These people know him well. He can't deny that.

The books on his desk look to be from that adventure series. Good. Maybe he'll finally be able to read more than just the ones that everyone else claims are his favorite. There are a few notebooks filled with doodles and notes from what looks to be class. He probably should review these later. Pencils, erasers, pens, some small stuffed animals... Nothing here seems particularly strange or out of place. Too bad he's not the type to keep a diary.

There are three drawers in the dresser. The top two have clothes, including the uniform that the other Warrior Candidates wore and an extra armband that denotes him as a Warrior Candidate. The bottom dresser has bunch of toys and more stuffed animals. From the wear and tear on these toys, Eren assumes majority of these, if not all, are hand-me downs.

The Eren of this world was, without a doubt, very much loved.

And the fact that Eren is here now means that he loved them back just as much.

His guilty heart refuses to settle.

*

Lunch is just a simple sandwich and water. There are no side dishes or anything extra that he can see. It's such a modest meal after eating at the hospital, but he finds himself enjoying this more.

There are tomato slices in his sandwich.

It's nothing childish like he doesn't like tomatoes. He looks seven, but he's not. He doesn't like tomato in his sandwich. It makes the bread soggy and unpleasant. But otherwise, he likes tomatoes just fine. When Jean found out, he made such a big deal over it, mocking Eren for being a spoiled brat. So Eren got into a habit of sneaking the tomato slices out of his sandwich to eat later.

"Eren, are you taking out your veggies?"

The grandma sounds more amused than shocked. But it's still embarrassing to have been caught.

"I-I'm going to eat it!" Eren protests before any accusations can fly.

What a relieved smile. Is this something the Eren of this world did often?

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in skipping veggies just this once," his grandma says.

"You're spoiling him!" Carla gives Eren a firm look. "Eren-"

"I'm going to eat it!"

To prove his point, Eren pulls the tomato slices out of his sandwich and eats them first. He looks victoriously at the two adults, who both look at him in astonishment.

"Eren ate his tomato!" his grandma exclaims.

Carla ruffles Eren's hair. "You're a big boy now, aren't you?"

"I'm not a kid!" Eren blurts out. Then he realizes that no, that's wrong. He shouldn't have said that. He's supposed to pretend to be the Eren of this world and-

Both women laugh. "Because you're a 'Warrior Candidate,' right?"

Without meaning to, it seems Eren acted how the Eren of this world would have in this situation.

His sandwich tastes bitter.

*

Aunt Faye giggles as she holds up a book in front of Eren. "Tada! Guess what this is!"

Although the cover of the book looks professional, there are bits and things sticking out from inside of the book. It looks like a lot of things have been shoved in it through the years. The cover has the word "Album," but Eren isn't too sure what that means.

"A... book?" Eren ventures to guess.

"Yup!"

She puts the album on the clean kitchen table and opens it to the first page. The inside contents are not professional at all. Or maybe it is? Eren can't tell. What's inside are clearly pictures. But they're super detailed. He doesn't think even Moblit can capture a moment this clearly. How long did the people in the picture stand in order to have this kind of realism?

"It's our family photo album! This photo was taken when I was a child." Faye taps on the very first picture that depicts a family of four. "Cameras were starting to become accessible to Eldians at this time, even though you had to pay a lot of money for a picture... Ah, do you remember what cameras are?"

"I don't know them."

There's a soft look on Faye's face that makes Eren think she's regretful of something.

"So it's like that... Don't worry, dad... Er, your grandpa loves using the camera. So he'd be more than happy to show it to you. Basically, it's a magical device that lets you capture any moment in perfect detail. Later, you take it to a special shop and they turn those moments into pictures. Just like these!"

T-they've discovered witchcraft?!

"C-capture moment? I-into picture form?" Eren asks.

Just to make sure Faye isn't joking around, he glances towards his grandma who is washing the dishes and his mom, who seems to be cutting fruits for them. They haven't reacted to this conversation, which means that Faye is telling the truth or they're already in on it. He can't tell from watching them. Looks like he'll just have to ask Marcel about this at a later time.

Faye doesn't seem to have noticed Eren's disbelief. She smiles as she begins to flip the book for him, pointing at different photos and explaining some of the context behind them.

"There aren't too many photos of when I was younger because of the cost. But we always made sure to take pictures of special moments. See this one? Your dad when he first received his doctor license. And here's me when I became an official baker at the Hoover Bakery."

At the...? So it wasn't just that Bertolt of this world took initiative. That guy and the Eren of this world had prior backstory that probably made it comfortable for him to speak up.... Huh? Then in this world, Eren plays the "Reiner" role for Bertolt?

Somehow, that's a really disgusting thought.

"What does it mean to be an 'official' baker?" Eren wonders.

Faye's smile is lighter now. This seems to be a safe conversation thread. Eren makes a note of it for the future.

"It means the baked goods I thought of can be sold to the public. And even if Mr. Hoover isn't around, I can open and close the store as I see fit. I guess thought of it that way, I'm probably better set to take over the Hoover Bakery! Haha!"

Is that really okay to take over someone else's family store?

"You probably don't remember, but you actually helped me come up with quite a lot of different breads and sweets."

... Huh? So it's not just Marcel that likes sweets? Eren supposes that makes sense. There isn't a shortage due to a massive titan invasion. There's no need to ration out the sugar and whatever else is needed for food. These children get to grow up in that long ago childhood Eren wishes he treasured more before everything became swallowed by titans.

"Oh, is this Zeke?" Eren asks, changing the topic when he spots a sweet looking blonde boy.

"Yup! Around when Zeke turned three, we got our own camera. So there's a lot of pictures of him. Look, look! Isn't he adorable? This was taken on his fifth birthday. Soon after, the Warrior Candidacy Exams took place..."

The next picture is of Zeke wearing the uniform Eren has gotten used to seeing. The smile on his face is uncertain. And the woman standing next to him has a very serious and determined look.

"Who's this?" Eren asks.

"O-oh! We forgot to tell you about Dina! That's Zeke's mom."

... Huh?!

*

"Ooooooh. A divorce! I thought maybe Zeke was hated, so he didn't have a room," Eren admits.

"No, no, no!" His grandma, who has now joined them along with Carla, exclaims in panic. "We love both of you very much!"

But still, a divorce, huh? How high-class. With how many people died regularly, marriage was a serious business back in Eren's world. The only people who had the luxury to get divorces were the nobles or those who lived in the inner walls, since they didn't live in constant fear of losing their lives.

Perhaps that's just what happens when you're not under constant danger.

"She's pretty," Eren says.

Oh, their smiles are beaming.

But there's something about this Dina that makes him uncomfortable. He wonders why.

*

"Eren! I'm here!"

Those words are the only warning Eren receives before Zeke envelopes him in a hug.

"I haven't seen you in forever! Were you lonely without your big brother?"

"L-let go! Let go!"

It's embarrassing to be held like he's some kind of a child! Please treat him with more dignity and respect... Oh wait, he is a child, isn't he? Damn.

Zeke gives Eren a wide eyed look of a kicked puppy. "Aren't you happy to see me at all?"

He gets a feeling that if he admits yes, Zeke is going to get really annoying.

"N-not really..."

But blushing while being unable to meet Zeke's eyes like this probably isn't very convincing, huh?

Zeke laughs brightly and ruffles Eren's hair. "You are the cutest when you can't be honest!"

"S-shut up! Who's cute?"

"Pardon the intrusion. Hello Eren, do you remember me?"

There's a tight smile on Dina's face as she greets Eren. It occurs to him that he hasn't seen her smile in any of the photos in the album. Her expression in the photos have all been stiff and stoic. Seeing her strained smile right now, he understands that it must have been because she's not used to smiling.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember you, but Aunt Faye told me you're Zeke's mom."

Her smile looks sad. "That's correct."

It's so somber. Eren's chest feels tight for some reasons. It's not until Grisha calls Dina away that Eren finds himself breathing again. Something about that woman makes him uncomfortable, and he can't quite put his finger on it. He wonders if it's a leftover from the Eren of this world. This is his body, after all.

... Huh? Wait. No. That can't be right. If this body belongs to the Eren of this world, wouldn't it still have green eyes...?

"I hope you're hungry. We brought mac and cheese!"

Well, whatever. He can think about that later.

*

The next to arrive is the Jaw Titan, who brings a basket of all sorts of fruits that must have costed a fortune. Or maybe fruits here are cheaper? Carla did cut apples for them to eat after lunch, too. Does that mean he'll be able to eat more fruits?

"Carla, my love! You look as radiant as you always do!" the Jaw Titan yells out as she dramatically drops to one knee before Eren's mom.

"You're such a jokster, Karoline!"

Somehow, this doesn't look much like a joke. Or maybe it seems that way because of the way Grisha is fretting?

The Jaw Titan ruffles Eren's hair while passing by. When he yells out, she smirks at him and winks.

How infuriating. The way she's behaving right now is just like...

Oh. Why did he just think Ymir...?

No, no. He's being weird. It can't be that.

He resolves to put it to the side for now.

*

The last pair of people to arrive is Reiner with who Eren assumes is his mom. Although Eren kind of hoped that Porco and Marcel would come (unlike Zeke, he has seen them nearly every day thanks to them sneaking into the hospital. So it's weird to suddenly not see them), it doesn't look like their families are all that close. Whereas this woman and Reiner both appeared often in the family album that Faye showed him.

"We brought casserole," the woman says with a cheerful greeting.

"Karina! You're late! Oh, I haven't had your casseroles in forever!" the Jaw Titan says. She takes the covered plate excitedly.

"You always say that and then never eat a bite of it. You're always just talk. Just like your love for Carla."

Although the words sound sharp, there's a teasing smile on the woman's face. It seems they're close enough to joke about things like that. Eren finds it a bit harsh, to be honest.

"E-Eren..."

Although Reiner is the one to call out, when Eren turns to look at him, Reiner flinches and looks at the ground. Isn't this reaction more of what you'd expect from Bertolt? How annoying. Eren hates dealing with these types the most. There's a reason why Eren was closer to Reiner than Bertolt. But he supposes that won't be the case here.

Somehow, he finds that a bit comforting. Things being different here is vital if he doesn't want to confuse the two worlds.

"Reiner," Eren says. He lightly punches Reiner's chest. "Head up."

What hopeful eyes. It makes Eren feel guilty. Whatever it is that Reiner sees with such bright eyes isn't the reality that is actually before him. But that's not something that can be said out loud.

"I'm... glad that you're okay," Reiner says softly.

At the very least, those words are sincere. Eren decides to leave it there.

*

Dinner is so rowdy with everyone around.

The table isn't big enough for everyone, so most of them just stand in the kitchen with a plate of food. The table has the rest of the food for them to serve themselves. It's a pretty neat way to deal with the tight space with this many people.

After all, even the patients are eating with them.

This family clinic business seems much more... friendly than what Eren expected. But he supposes he now understands why Grisha was so well received at the hospital. Wait no. The hospital was for Marleyans, right? Damn. This whole divide thing is so damned confusing.

"Eren! Try this! And this!" Zeke yells as he shoves food onto Eren's plate. "Isn't it delicious?"

Yes, but Eren is starting to be full. He would really appreciate not having more food on his plate, please.

"Ohhh, you're going to eat a lot and get bigger, huh? Shame. You'd be cuter if you stayed this small!"

Damn this Jaw Titan. She's not all that tall either. 

"U-uh..."

It seems Reiner gave up trying to speak, because he's now just clutching to Eren's sleeve. 

Annoying! They're all so annoying!

"But thank goodness that you're alright, Eren." One of the patients ruffles Eren's hair. "We were all worried, you know."

"I baked a special cake just for you, Eren! Oh, Bertolt helped me come up with this design, so make sure to thank him when you get the chance, okay?" Faye says brightly.

... Eren supposes he can stomach being annoyed for just a while longer.

*

"By the way, Eren, what do you plan on doing from now on?"

The question seems to be a switch of sorts. Everyone's conversation has ceased and they're now all watching him for an answer.

"Don't I have to go back to being a Warrior Candidate?"

"Y-you don't have to be, if you don't want to!" Grisha rushes to say. "I'm sure Commander Magath will understand-"

"The hell are you saying, you coward? Don't you dare say something so irresponsible. You think this is some kind of a game? Magath will understand? The fuck would a Marleyan-"

The rest of the Jaw Titan's words are drowned out in a bloody cough. She covers her mouth, but the ferocity in her eyes don't dim in the slightest. If looks could kill, Grisha probably would have stopped breathing.

"D-don't worry about that for now, Eren," his grandpa rushes to say.

"R-right, you just got back so-"

The Jaw Titan wipes her mouth and glares at them. "Do you hear yourselves? Now that he's returned from the hospital, Magath expects him to report for duty right away. But you already knew that. You're just saying nice words to ease yourselves. It's-"

"Karoline, that's enough," Carla says firmly. "Let's get you looked at. Don't speak anymore. You're spewing blood."

Eren thought that the Jaw Titan would meekly obey and head towards the clinic area, but she doesn't budge. Instead, her eyes are set on Eren now.

"You're not stupid. Figure it out."

Then she finally allows herself to be pulled out of the room by both Carla and Karina. But they can all hear her angry words muffled by the walls.

"Y-you don't have to go back," Grisha repeats to Eren. "You don't have to be a Warrior Candidate anymore."

"Grisha, I know it's not my place to meddle, but Karoline is right. You are being irresponsible," Dina says sharply.

From the downcast looks on everyone else's faces, it seems that they're in agreement with Dina. Not to mention... Isn't it pretty rude of Grisha to say that Eren doesn't need to return to being a Warrior Candidate when there are two of them in the room?

"Dad, I'm going to be fine," Eren says.

The mood hasn't improved. Then...

Eren reaches over and holds Zeke's hand. And after a bit of a contemplation, he takes Reiner's hand, too. Then he holds both of their hands up for everyone to see.

"See? I'll be fine since I have Zeke and Reiner with me."

Was that the wrong thing to say? Grisha looks like he wants to cry.

But before Eren can think too much about that, Zeke pulls him into a tight hug..

"I won't disappoint my cute little brother!"

"I'm not cute! Shut up and let go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're not supposed to smell or taste or feel pain in dreams.
> 
> So the fact that he can distinctly smell smoke mixed with blood must mean this is a memory he's reliving. 
> 
> The memory of that damned grinning titan as it picks up his mom from the rubble. Her leg is fine. There's no injury at all. The feeble lie she said to make Eren and Mikasa abandon her becomes too easily unraveled in front of him with the spray of red.
> 
> Then the memory shifts. It's no longer of the burning remains of Shiganshina. He's in a field of green, surrounded by titans on all sides. And there it is again, the grinning titan. And there it is again, the spray of red that seems to have become a signature around Eren.
> 
> The pain in his chest is excruciating. How can a dream hurt this much?
> 
> No, that's wrong. It's not the dream that hurts. It's the memories. The people he held dear but had to let go because he wasn't strong enough to protect them. Because he's always so damned worthless. And at the center of it all is always a fucking titan.
> 
> The stench of blood is nauseating. He feels sick, even though this is just a dream. The screams of his fallen comrades fill the air. There are half-eaten corpses all over the ground. Those that still have eyes seem to be looking to Eren accusingly. Their names tumble off his tongue so easily. The soldiers that sacrificed so much, only to be reduced to this and a name that will soon be forgotten with time...
> 
> "Eren! Wake up! It's just a nightmare! You're not there."
> 
> He's heaving to breath. It takes him a few more minutes to get his bearings and realize where he is. By that time, he realizes that he's shaking like mad and his face is wet. And that rancid smell... Did he puke? How disgusting. Really, can he get any worse?
> 
> "See? It was just a bad dream. You're home now," Carla says gently. She holds Eren tightly in her arms, seemingly unfazed by the mess he has made.
> 
> Grisha soothingly rubs circles on Eren's back. "You're safe now. We're here."
> 
> "M-mom... Dad... S-sorry. I-"
> 
> "You didn't do anything wrong," comes the calming words. "It was just a nightmare."
> 
> Nothing wrong? That's not quite true. Because in that dream, he saw Dina's strained smile over that grinning titan's. How could he be so cruel as to think of his dad's first wife as the monster that stole so much from him? His brain is probably a mess from suddenly seeing his mom again. But still, that's just... 
> 
> "Tomorrow... I-if you're not feeling well, you don't have to go."
> 
> And instead stay here with the lingering guilt of not being able to save his mom? No, he'd rather face this unknown "Warrior Division."
> 
> "I'll be okay."
> 
> Neither his mom nor dad looks to believe him.
> 
> To be honest, he's not sure if he believes himself either.


	7. when you feel down, just remember:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Your stupidity is from your dad," Eren once told Reiner.
> 
> "M-my dad...? H-how can you be so sure?"
> 
> Eren motioned at Reiner's mom, who is currently smiling and piling on heaps of compliments to the Marleyan officers to soothe over Reiner's and Eren's prank that went horribly wrong. It, by the way, only went wrong because Reiner tripped and puked all over the officer's shoes. Something that Marcel or Porco would never do. So it made perfect sense that Eren looked at him and then bolted, because yeah, Reiner would have left, too, if he was in Eren's shoes. He stayed on the ground, sobbing hysterically like any abandoned child would while imagining the worst possible outcome.
> 
> And Eren returned with Karina.
> 
> "Because your mom is smart."
> 
> That's fair. Reiner really isn't all that smart. That added to the fact that both his mom and Eren had to save him really doesn't say a lot of good things about himself or his dad. 
> 
> "But that's fine. If you get in trouble again, I'll save you."
> 
> The grin on Eren's face was full of confidence and certainty that Reiner couldn't help but to be taken. He can without any hesitation always point to this moment whenever anyone asks why he adores Eren so much. 
> 
> But that's all he wanted it to be. Sweets words from his most treasured person. Kind feelings that made his heart flutter. A noble goal that he can strive towards. Because he wanted to do it, too. He wanted to be able to get to a point that he would be able to save Eren, too.
> 
> Is that too selfish of a thing to want?

"G-good morning!"

It's just Reiner.

No sign of Zeke. No sign of Marcel or Porco.

Just Reiner.

The disappointment must have been too obvious on Eren's face, Reiner's expression falls. And damn it. He really doesn't want to deal with this first thing in the morning.

"We'll be off!" Eren tells his family.

Reiner is still giving him that hurt puppy look. Eren honestly doesn't know how to deal with him. Should he start with an apology? Ask what's wrong?

Oh. Wait. What if he...

He reaches over and takes Reiner's hand. When he was younger and Mikasa or Armin was feeling down, he used to do this all the time. It cheered them up immensely to know that he was by their side and quietly supporting them. Even during training, if things were quiet enough, they sometimes sat together and held hands. So maybe if he does this with Reiner...

Reiner is staring blankly at their joined hands. Then slowly (almost disbelievingly), he looks up at Eren. Is something wrong? What? Just say it instead of staring! Reiner was an annoying little snot when he was a kid.

"Want me to let go?" Eren asks.

"N-no... I... Thank you."

"For what?"

It's taking everything he has not to snap and punch the guy. Is it that hard to form words? But the Reiner that Eren met was such a cool and reliable guy. How did this tiny child become like that? Or maybe this Reiner wouldn't? This is a different world, after all. It would make sense if his personality is different here, too.

Maybe this means that this Reiner won't be betraying Eren any time soon.

"It... must be really weird since you still don't remember everything. But you're still making the effort to look after me. I... feel like I'm always being spoiled by you."

Eren wonders just what kind of a relationship the Eren of this world and this Reiner had.

"I won't be able to be who I was before," Eren warns.

Reiner squeezes his hand. "That's fine. Because this time, I'll protect you."

It irks Eren to be told that he'll be protected by a small child. But seeing that he is also a small child, he probably shouldn't make a big deal of it. It's just annoying.

"Good morning, Reiner! Eren! Let's walk together!" Zeke yells out as he rushes towards them.

At least if Zeke is here, Eren won't have to constantly be annoyed by Reiner's stutters.

*

The Public Security Authorities at the gate seem surprised to see Eren.

"Shouldn't you rest more?" they ask.

"Rest?" Eren echoes. "Aren't I supposed to return to duty?"

He's not too sure what to make of the uncomfortable expressions on their faces. So he decides not to think too hard on it.

"H-have a good day. We're off!" he tells them.

Should he not have said that? Both Zeke and Reiner look frozen stiff as they make their way out of the gate. He can't quite figure out what those expressions on the Public Security Authorities' faces are.

"Should I not have said that?" he asks quietly once they're out of earshot.

Zeke ruffles Eren's hair a bit roughly than usual. "It's alright. I'll make sure that nothing happens to you."

But that's not what Eren asked. Even when Eren asks again, Zeke dodges the question with "reliable" words. Eren hates how much this reminds him of Mikasa's coddling.

*

If he were to ask Zeke to lift him up to poke at the lightbulb inside of a streetlamp, would Zeke agree? Their pace is a bit brisk, so Eren is inclined to believe that they're too busy to stop. But he's so curious, though.

"Eren, don't fall behind," Reiner says, tugging lightly on their joined hands.

"Reiner, do we have to hurry back once we're done?" Eren keeps his voice low so that Reiner understands that this is a secret conversation between the two of them.

"Hurry...?" Reiner glances at Zeke for a second before turning to Eren with a small grin. "We could take a detour. Just a small one, though."

Zeke must have felt left out, because he glances towards them with a curious smile. "What are you two plotting so quietly?"

Eren is just a second away from excitedly telling Zeke about his plan to climb the streetlamp when his eyes catch sight of the horseless carriage. "Car," if Eren recalls correctly. What was it now? Mechitorial? Wait no. Didn't Marcel say that that was Porco's misunderstanding? But Eren can't remember the actual word for it.

"Mechitorial?" Eren asks Zeke, figuring that his brother will correct him.

"Not quite," Zeke says with a light laugh. "It's an automobile."

... Huh?

A-auto...? T-that's not what Marcel said! It wasn't mechitorial, but it wasn't automobile either. Eren doesn't remember what word it was, but "automobile" is definitely a new word!

"One day, I'm sure it'll become more wide-spread enough for all of us to ride within the interment zone, too. But right now, only us, the Warrior Candidates, can ride them for missions."

They can ride one?

Oh. So that's why people want to become Warrior Candidates! It all makes sense now!

"We used to talk about stealing one," Reiner mentions casually. When he notices the look on Zeke's face, he quickly adds, "N-not that we'd ever do it. It was just jokes."

But still... There's a thought.

*

The Warrior Headquarters is a surprisingly nice looking building with a large dirt courtyard. The people walking around are all dressed in similar military fashion as they are. It's odd to see so many all-white uniforms.

"Eren!"

The yell is quickly followed by someone throwing themselves on Eren, wrapping their arms tightly around him. If Zeke didn't quickly brace Eren's back, Eren probably would have fallen down.

That's all fine and all, but who is this?

"I-I heard that you forgot everyone! But that's not true, right? You didn't forget me?"

"Who are you?" Eren asks.

It's a small boy, probably around this body's age of seven. He looks devastated by Eren's question. Perhaps Eren shouldn't have said anything?

"I... I see... it wasn't a joke."

"S-sorry. E-er..."

The boy shakes his head no. "I'm sorry. Things must be confusing because you don't remember anything. I'm Colt. I'm your best friend."

Another one, huh? The Eren of this world seemed to have liked being surrounded by people. But to be honest, Eren feels tired by the thought. These people are those that loved that small child who can no longer be with them.

Hold up. If this Colt guy is really a best friend, then how come he never came to visit in the hospital? Eren... probably shouldn't voice that.

"No, you're not," Reiner says. He lifts the hand holding Eren's as if offering proof.

Hey you, learn some decency.

"W-well...!" Colt gives Eren a hurt look.

Having no choice, Eren offers him his other hand. Colt brightens. He reaches for Eren's hand, but Zeke gets there first. It's clear from that glint in Zeke's eyes that he knows exactly what he did. But he dares to look as innocently as he can.

Colt's eyes tear up.

"Grow up!" Eren scolds his brother and Reiner. He frees his hands from the two of them and then points an accusing finger at Colt. "Be more assertive!"

The three of them stare at Eren in astonishment for a bit. Then they laugh.

"It's almost like you haven't lost your memory!" Colt says.

Despite being surrounded by such bright laughter, Eren feels unsettled.

*

Eren follows Zeke's lead as Colt begins to talk to Eren about random things that he must believe is very important for someone to know. Reiner chimes in with advice, too. It works well to distract Eren from his thoughts.

"And no matter what, you must never allow Pieck to trap you in any way shape or form. She'll never let you go!"

Zeke lets out a small sound of disagreement. "Pieck really isn't that bad."

Both Colt and Reiner give him a distrusting look but don't verbally dissent. Eren files this away as something to keep in mind.

The building itself reminds Eren a little of the headquarters the nobles and higher ups used in the inner walls. That's not to say that the building itself is fancy. It's just... reeks of money? Yeah. He thinks that's the best way of phrasing it.

Zeke leads them into what looks to be a classroom of sorts. There are four people already there, settled in.

"Eren! Good morning!" Marcel greets brightly.

"You're later than usual," comes Porco's remark.

How odd that Eren feels so calm when he sees these two's grins. "Morning. I thought you two would come pick me up."

"What? And you want us to carry you here as well?" Porco drawls, clearly teasing.

"No, you dumbass. It means I missed you."

Eren wonders who is more surprised by those words. Porco, whose face has turned bright red and is now refusing to meet Eren's eyes? Marcel, who looks like his grin might split his face from how much he's beaming? Or Eren, who didn't think he had the capability to say something like that?

Maybe that's just what happens when you lose your best friend and your own world? You end up treasuring those who goes out of their way to hang onto you. Because you know no one else will. Because those that would have are all dead or gone.

"That's not fair! You only feel like that because Marcel and Porco cheated to visit you! We all wanted to go!"

The one who just spoke up is a girl that Eren doesn't recall meeting. Her long black hair has been tied back into a ponytail, and she looks to Eren with a pout on her face. The last person in the room, by the way, looks to be Annie, who is keeping to herself by reading a book.

"I'm Pieck," the black haired girl says. She points to the other girl. "That's Annie. Do either of us ring a bell?"

Aside from Annie betraying them and killing so many people? Ah. Right. Eren shouldn't get mad. That never happened in this world. This Annie, just like Bertolt and Reiner, must be different. But man, her aloofness really reminds him of... No. No. He said he wouldn't compare.

Eren shakes his head. "Sorry, no."

"I told you. Eren didn't even remember me," Marcel protests.

Pieck points dramatically towards Marcel. "So you admit that you seduced him in the hospital!"

S-seduce...? Isn't that too strong of a word to use? Aren't they like five? Where did they learn such a terrifying word?

"Now, now," Zeke says. "Settle down before the commander gets here."

Marcel pats the seat next to himself and grins. Eren doesn't hesitate to sit there. Belatedly, he realizes that this might not have been the best place to sit, because Porco moves himself so that Eren is stuck between the two of them.

The two brothers smirk.

Just a little, Eren wonders if he has fallen into their trap.

"Eren, I'm going to my duty now. I'll stop by for lunch, okay?" Zeke calls out.

"You're leaving?"

Then again, Eren supposes that does make sense. Zeke is clearly much older than everyone here. He probably has different set of schedule compared to the children. Eren is really curious as to what Zeke is going to do.

"Don't pout. I'll see you soon."

*

Bertolt arrives a few minutes after, face red and panting. He pauses for just a bit at the entrance, eyes scanning the room for...

Oh, was he looking for Eren?

Because the minute he spots Eren, he brightens. He doesn't try anything like trying to sit near Eren. But he gives a small wave. Seeing nothing wrong with it, Eren waves back.

"Not going to headbutt him today?" Porco asks.

"Shut up. I slipped."

*

Mornings, it appears, are spent in this classroom to learn about military tactics and Marley's glorious battle history. There are theories of how to best take advantage of the terrain, tactics of torture and interrogation, and breakdowns of how their weapons work. Before all of the details they've been given can be digested, they launch straight into the history of war campaigns and the trail of victories that Marley left behind them since the days of "Helos," whatever that is.

It reminds Eren of his trainee days, sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures of how to kill titans.

If there's a striking difference, it's that there's no one goofing off. Typically in lectures, Connie would fall asleep or start playing small pranks. Sasha would somehow sneak food in to eat. Even the ever serious Marco would pass notes if prodded. During breaks, they would all stretch while complainers like Jean would say they've been sitting too long.

But these kids show no sign of their concentration breaking. It's a little terrifying to see, to be honest. These kids seriously answer questions that are asked and recite phrases and names of battle strategies. There isn't a single sign of mischief, not even from Porco, who didn't look all that smart or patient. When Eren stares at him for a bit too long, Porco taps the table and then points at the lecturer as if silently rebuking Eren.

Eren can't recall a single time everyone in a class paid this much attention.

After the lectures is a hands-on practice with rifles.

The rifles that they're dismantling and reassembling wouldn't put a dent on a titan. But these are the perfect weapon for taking away human life. Teaching a class of young children how to shoot a rifle to kill a human seems wrong on so many levels. But no one around him seems to find this odd. In fact, they seem to be competing to see who can put the rifle together the fastest.

"Pft! Too easy!" Marcel says, laughing.

"Again? You've got to be kidding me!" Pieck complains.

Marcel grins like a smug cat before turning towards Eren. He doesn't say anything, just continues to look at Eren as if expecting something. Eren isn't too sure what.

"Hey, pay attention. That's wrong," Porco says, grabbing Eren's hand.

"No, no. This part goes there," Eren protests. He shows Porco what he's talking about and then points to how Porco has his set up. "Think about it, if it's like that, then the bullet can't fire."

"This is how we've always done it."

But does that make it the right way?

"Eren, Porco's right," Marcel interrupts.

Why does Porco look so shocked? Eren's the one who doesn't understand how this rifle works. The only section of the military that uses rifles is the Military Police. But that doesn't mean Eren doesn't know the theory. You put bullets in, one by one, and then you fire. The bullet flies out in a straight line from where you put it in. There's none of these confusing "scopes" and other gadgets and gizmos that Eren just doesn't understand how they all fit together.

"You're siding with me?" Porco asks his brother as Eren glares resentfully at his rifle.

"It's not siding. I'm just acknowledging facts."

When it becomes clear that Porco doesn't trust Marcel's words a bit, Marcel turns his attention towards Eren.

"Here, watch how I do it. I'll try to explain how they work, too."

"You don't remember how to do this at all?" Colt asks, tilting his head to the side.

Eren gives an irritable shrug, but he keeps his eyes trained on Marcel's movements. This damned rifle makes no sense.

"What a shame. You were faster than Marcel."

That catches Eren's attention.

"The score was...? I can't remember. Was it 47 to 54, Eren winning?" Bertolt asks.

Reiner nods. "Yeah. That sounds right."

Slowly, Eren finds himself turning his attention back to Marcel, who has finished assembling his rifle and grins brightly at Eren. Did he not hear what the others are saying? But he must have noticed Eren's mood, because the grin slips a bit.

"What?" he asks.

Eren can't voice the question on his tongue. How can he? He already knows the answer to it. He suspected it but never had any proof of it until now. Marcel hasn't compared Eren to "how he was before." Eren just figured that was how Marcel was. The whole "starting over" thing was just something that was convenient for him. Eren didn't think it was because Marcel must have been doing his utmost best to accept Eren as he is now.

It burns Eren more than he would like to admit. His throat tightens with guilt. It shouldn't be him here. The Eren that they're all waiting for is a seven year old boy with too green of eyes and a love so strong that it was able to drag him from another world.

Has Eren ever loved someone like that?

"S-show me again," Eren manages out. "I'm... going to take notes."

For just a second, Eren fears that Marcel would ask him what's wrong again. But he doesn't. Instead, Marcel smiles and nods.

"Sure. I'll go slowly."

*

Lunch is marked by adults with armbands walking into the classroom with a, "Hey kids!"

Although it should have been the color of the armbands that let Eren know who they are, it's not until he spots the Jaw Titan and the Attack Titan that Eren realizes who they are. The Warriors, huh? This is going to be annoying, isn't it?

"We heard that one of you finally returned from the hospital! Let's celebrate with a lunch party!" they say, holding up various containers of food and drinks (Eren assumes these are juices and nothing alcoholic).

It sounds to Eren like they just wanted to blow off steam.

"You don't remember us, right? I'm the Cart Titan," one of the men says with an awkward smile. He leans heavily on his crutch.

And with that, they go down the line to introduce themselves.

The Female Titan is a timid woman who dips her head and stutters when she talks. The Beast Titan is a nervous-looking man who keeps wiping his glasses. Those glasses look familiar for some odd reasons, but Eren figures it's not important. The Colossal Titan doesn't speak and is introduced by the Cart. The Armored Titan keeps trying to hide behind others as if afraid of them.

Once the introductions are finished, the adults move the desks to have a large area to put the food down. They brought sandwiches and fruits. The drinks are, as Eren suspected, different flavored juices.

It's odd. These adults look absolutely nothing like the image of "Warriors" that fought in those battles lectured about during the morning. If anything, Eren would argue that the kids inspire more of that "Warrior" feel. These adults look meek like they would be too afraid to fight. They look nothing like the veterans of the Survey Corps that Eren looked up to. They don't even look like the lazy Military Police members that wanted to kill Eren out of fear for their own lives. No, they look more like the huddled civilians who were terrified after their homes were taken by the titans.

Are these children next to Eren also going to grow up like that? Too anxious and terrified to fight against their cage that's slowly getting smaller?

Someone taps their shoulder against Eren's. When Eren glances over, he sees Marcel grin.

"As a celebration of your release, Porco and I got you something."

The adults seem like children with their whistling and giggling. And now that Eren's paying attention, the other Warrior Candidates seem to be pulling out small gifts from their bags as well. Did they all plan this?

"W-we made it ourselves, so it's rough," Porco warns.

Eren doesn't get why Porco's blushing so much until he sees the present. It's probably supposed to be a red scarf, but it's filled with holes of dropped stitches and accidental twists. These two made this? When Eren was younger, Carla knitted him a black scarf that he later passed on to Mikasa. He, of course, assumed Carla would make him another one. But his mom scolded him for giving away his old things to Mikasa so he can get new ones. Saying he needed to be responsible, she refused to make him any scarf. That was one cold winter...

Marcel and Porco helps wrap the scarf around Eren. Due to the sheer length of it, the holes of the scarf gets covered up well enough to keep the heat in. They must have worked hard on it. Eren touches it and feels a warmth in his chest.

"It's on him. You guys can let go of the scarf now," Reiner says.

"But if we do, he'll run away," Marcel replies with a shake of the head as if this is just obvious.

"The hell would I run? And... I-is this supposed to be a leash?!" Eren asks.

Porco snorts. "Don't be stupid. This is just to keep you with us."

That's a leash!

"I-I have s-sweet buns!" Bertolt says, changing the subject by shoving a container of food in Eren's hands.

Don't look so smug, Porco, Marcel. Eren will bring this up later.

"O-oh uh... t-thanks..."

Eren winces. God, that's not heartfelt at all. But it's not because Bertolt reminds him of the traitors this time, alright? It's because he's still fuming at Marcel and Porco. But now it seems like he's grumpy at the gift he received! Ugh. How to fix this...?

He opens the container. There are four sweet buns in there. Each of them are bigger than his hand. Did this guy make this himself? Eren picks one up and bites into it. The inside tastes sweet like...

"What is this? It's yummy!"

Bertolt brightens. "It's peach paste. Healthy and delicious."

"Did you make it yourself? That's amazing!"

"I-I had help..."

Although Bertolt tips his head down in embarrassment, Eren sees the grateful smile. Eh? What the hell? Isn't this kid kind of cute? What a relief. Eren thinks he's really starting to see this kid in front of him as his own person.

Oh, right. Before he forgets.

"Bertolt, you helped Aunt Faye with the cake last night, right? Thank you for that, too!"

Maybe he's piling on the compliments too much? Bertolt's ears and neck are turning red.

"Eren," Pieck calls. She presents a notebook to him. "Me and Annie put this together."

The notebook doesn't look like anything from the cover. But when Eren opens it, he sees the detailed notes both girls have written about common things found in Liberio. In places where words are not enough, they've drawn rough sketches of the object that they're talking about.

"We weren't too sure what 'losing your memory' meant. So we thought we'd be thorough. S-sorry if this is too elementary," Annie mumbles.

There's a light blush on her face as she keeps her eyes lowered. In contrast to that, Pieck is a bundle of excited energy with her grin so wide. They're pretty cute.

"Thanks. This is really helpful, actually. Porco's been really annoying about not answering any ques-"

"Don't lie!" Porco snaps. He punches Eren lightly on the shoulder. "I answered you!"

Eren scowls back at him. Due to the gifts and the sweet bun, he has no hands to punch Porco back. That's probably a good thing, though. He shouldn't be hitting little kids. But kicking on the other hand... He probably shouldn't. Maybe later when no one's watching.

"Because you said mechitorial, now that's all that comes to mind, even though I know it's wrong! Take responsibility!"

Porco looks like he swallowed a sour lemon. But he at least has the decency to apologize. Okay, Porco. You escape being kicked for today.

"My turn!" Colt yells. He holds up a small wooden figure in his hand that seems to be in the shape of a small bear. "It's a protection charm. I'm not too good with my knife yet, so it's the first of many. Because one won't be enough to protect you, right, Eren?"

Hey, that's really rude. Apologize, you brat.

"Yeah, one is most definitely not enough," Marcel agrees. He dares to sigh dramatically. "Eren would need at least fifty!"

"I-I do not!"

Eren so doesn't need protection! He can protect himself just fine! Mikasa's the one that decided on her own that he needed to be protected. But he can fight and make a dent on the enemies without any help. S-sure, he got kidnapped that one time. A-and there was that other time with the Military Police. But overall, it wasn't because Eren couldn't protect himself that he got captured like that. It was just that the circumstances were bad and-

"Lucky for you, Eren, we're here!" Pieck giggles.

Everyone looks at her curiously.

She makes a motion at everyone gathered. "Because we're the Warrior Division. It might not have been the perfect protection last time, but we still defeated the evil prophecy of the Attack Titan!"

"I'm in the room!" the Attack Titan complains.

The other Warriors shush him so that Pieck can keep talking.

"So next time, too, we'll protect you."

Eren feels his cheeks heat up. How many times does he have to say that he doesn't need protection? But in the same breath, these kids watched a dear comrade almost die in front of them. It was traumatic enough for Eren when he was 15. But to imagine these small children...

They must have felt the rage and helplessness that he did when he saw the walls go down. They must have thought, like Eren did when he was 15, that they were strong enough now. That they had the weapons and power to fight back. Only to realize that reality isn't so kind. No matter how strong you are, you aren't a match for a titan's might.

"The feeling goes both ways," Eren mumbles.

This must be why Mikasa loves wearing that scarf while pretending that it's cold. It makes hiding his embarrassed blushing face easy.

"I'm going to protect you... All of you, too."

Porco groans. "No, you idiot! That's exactly what got us in this situation!"

"W-who are you calling an idiot? A-and... The person who calls others an idiot is the real idiot, idiot!" Eren retorts.

Did he say that? Did he really say that? What is he doing, saying something so embarrassingly childish for? He's talking to a kid! He shouldn't get sucked into this pace!

"Hah! You called me an idiot, so you're an idiot, too! Idiot!" Porco laughs.

Shut up! Do you think that Eren doesn't know that????

"Hey you two, all the food is going to be gone if you wait any longer!" the Beast Titan calls to them gently.

Tch. No choice. As the older and more mature one, Eren will be the bigger person.

"F-for now, let's-"

Eren's next words are interrupted by a sandwich that gets shoved into his mouth. From the corner of his eyes, he is much too aware that Porco has received the same treatment. So at least it's not like only one of them is a laughing stock. But...

"Eat up!" Marcel laughs.

They're annoying and selfish. Just as children should be. Free-spirited without any worries of being shot at or having their homes destroyed and loved ones killed.

Eren must stay here anyways.

So it should be fine if he decides to protect these children's happiness for as long as he can. That's what the Eren of this world wanted anyways.

* * *

This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.

The conversation naturally flowed away from giving Eren gifts before Reiner had a chance to give his. And now he's left awkwardly holding it while everyone eats. He should have said something earlier. He should have given his gift earlier. Damn it. This is so frustrating!

"Sorry I'm late to the party!" Zeke yells as he rushes in. "I had to talk to Commander Magath for a bit. But more importantly..."

He places a container on the table and opens it up.

"Tada! The most special cake in all the world! Aunt Faye worked really hard to put this together, so make sure you thank her... Oh and Bertolt, too. Thanks, Bertolt!"

And now that Zeke is here with the cake, there's no way that Reiner will be able to give this gift. He'll just put it back in his bag for now.

"It looks like a log!" Eren exclaims.

Bertolt laughs. "It's called 'roll cake,' but some of the customers call it a log cake, too. It's really popular in Hizuru. So we tried making it ourselves."

"You guys come up with some really cool stuff, huh? The sweet buns were delicious, too."

Reiner agrees. Eren divided the buns saying that they were too big for him to eat alone so that everyone could have a taste. There's even a small piece left for Zeke, too. And it tasted really delicious when Eren put Reiner's piece in his mouth for him.

He should have given the gift then. Now it's just awkward. Ugh. Why did he wait so long?

"I-if you want, you can come over today and make some at my place," Bertolt says, a light flush on his face.

See? All Reiner has to do is be like that. He just needs to take the initiative. He already knows that Eren wouldn't reject him. Knows it from the way Eren took his hand last night and yet again this morning. But it's so terrifying to take the first step forward.

"Sorry. I can't today. Reiner and I are going to hang out."

Reiner glances over just in time to see Eren give him a grin. But because of that, Eren completely misses the cold looks on everyone else's faces.

Isn't this the same as a death sentence?

Still... How long has it been since they've been able to hang out together? How long has it been since the two of them were able to sit together somewhere and talk? Eren probably doesn't remember those moments, but he still chose Reiner.

It gives Reiner the push he needs.

"Eren, my gift for you!"

*

"So what did you want to do today with me?" Reiner asks.

Everyone's helping out with clean up. Once this is done, it'll be time for afternoon drills and laps around the courtyard. So before Reiner loses initiative again, he needs to ask now.

Eren giggles and motions for Reiner to lean in close. Once Eren is confident that no one else is listening in (Reiner is pretty sure that Marcel is from the way he's cocking his head to the side), Eren whispers...

"I want to climb a streetlamp!"

Reiner opens his mouth and then wordlessly closes it when he realizes he doesn't really know what to say.

"W-wait, Eren... W-why are we climbing one?"

"I want a lightbulb."

But can't he just get one from the storage closet? Doesn't the Jaeger Clinic have plenty of extra lightbulbs for Eren to have? Why must they climb a streetlamp to get a lightbulb? Wait, can't this be seen as vandalism of sorts? They're going to get in a lot of trouble for that!

"Why do you want one?" Reiner asks, struggling to keep his voice from slipping into hysteria.

Eren grins widely. "So I can start a fire!"

Reiner fears for their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "But the thought that this child can 'change' the future is still just your theory. You don't have any proof of it."
> 
> The Attack Titan let out a frustrated growl. "Yes, I know. But by the time I have that evidence, it's more likely that that child would be too tangled up under Marley control to be able to save. Right now, when his view of the world hasn't finished building yet, is the prime time to explain our purpose to him. We should really be thanking Ymir that he lost his memories when he did."
> 
> What a despicable plan. But without taking on such sins, they will never be able to stand against Marley. They've learned that the hard way too many times, lost too many lives. If this truly can become a way forward... 
> 
> "'Explain' our purpose, you say. And what? If he says no, we let him walk off and report us?"
> 
> "There are plenty of ways to show a child those barbarians' ways," the Attack Titan said. "I'll get that proof for you, Owl. In return, watch over that kid."
> 
> Eren Kruger lets out a soft sigh at the memory of their talk last night. He hates babysitting duty. But still... "Eren Jaeger," huh? 
> 
> That's the brat of a kid that dared to glare up at Kruger when they ran into each other in the streets the other day. Kruger meant to watch over how Grisha is doing these days and ended up feeling rather unnerved by that stare. Now that Kruger had some time to think about it, he assumes it was because the child's eyes had no hint of fear of the Marleyan officers before him. 
> 
> Kruger has no doubts that that child will be nothing but a headache.


	8. don't try this at home, kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's one thing that Zeke has learned about the Marleys is that they're all self-centered people. There's absolutely not a single one that has a redeeming quality. If they appear to have one, it's an act they put on for the sake of other Marleyans watching or there's some kind of a benefit in it for them. 
> 
> Perhaps as "Honorary Marleyans," the Warriors believe that they are real Marleyans.
> 
> "The best way to test my theory is to use it in action. My suggestion is when I next get a prediction, we see if Eren can change it," the Attack Titan says.
> 
> Commander Magath stares at the written report the Attack Titan presented with his spiel. Zeke desperately wants to know what's written there. What did the Attack Titan write? Is it the same thing as what he just declared in front of everyone? Or is there something more, something "secretive" that was included just for Marleyan eyes? 
> 
> After celebrating Eren's release from the hospital with everyone during lunch, this is what the Attack Titan does? Is this something he planned to do since seeing Eren in the hospital? 
> 
> Has he no shame? 
> 
> "If it turns out that he can't actually change it, no harm done. Nothing has changed." Here, the Attack Titan sneaks a look at the Jaw. "But if it turns out that he can change the future... Then there's just one thing to do. We must make him the next Attack Titan."
> 
> And doom Eren to live just 13 more years? After all the efforts Zeke has put in to try and convince the higher ups to not give Eren a titan, it'll disappear into smoke just like that? 
> 
> "We'll think about that if your theory is true," Magath says. 
> 
> Zeke swallows down his words of protest for now. If he comes up too strongly against all of this, he'll be seen as a traitor. That's not going to help anyone. Especially not his family nor his cause. 
> 
> Without giving away his position, how should he go about protecting his little brother?

The afternoon is dedicated to physical drills. They start by running laps around the courtyard. Remembering how Instructor Shadis ran things, Eren won't be shocked if they'll end the day by running here, too. But that's probably the point. If they were to start their mornings with these exercises, then the children would all be fast asleep by the time for lectures. Since it's like this, Eren left the scarf inside with his other gifts. He's not like Mikasa who can run around with something that long choking his neck. Thinking back on it, it was pretty amazing that she was able to do half of what she did without getting the scarf caught on every other obstacle.

Eren bumps into Marcel and quickly catches himself. Marcel gives him a small look of an apology, but then his attention returns to what was distracting him earlier. It looks like the Warriors and Zeke are out here with a man in uniform that Eren doesn't recall meeting. Eren bumps into Marcel again for his attention.

"Hey, who's that old man?"

"H-huh? Y-you mean Magath? Er... E-Eren, that's Commander Magath, our division leader. Make sure you remember that and show him respect, okay?"

Oh, so that's who this "Magath" is...

"Is it a big deal that he's here?"

Marcel pauses for a second before giving Eren a tight smile. "Not that he's here. He typically watch over us during drills and things. It's that everyone is watching."

So the fact that all the adults are here is unnerving Marcel? Then Eren better keep his eyes on the adults.

*

"Since it's been a while, why don't we do assessment tests?" Magath says.

The other Warrior Candidates tense and glance towards the Warriors gathered. This must be a huge deal. If it's an assessment tests and all the adults are here, perhaps it's to pick the next Warriors? Oh, then it is a huge deal. Does Zeke not need to be tested, though? Or maybe he already has something lined up? Since Zeke is the oldest, that would make the most amount of sense.

"We'll do more thorough tests in the following days. Today will just be the standard."

The standard? So things like their ability to run and hand-to-hand? Let's see, what else can they do without setting anything up? How far they can jump? There's nothing like vertical maneuvering gears, so he doubts they'll be doing any standing or flying tests... Will they? There was that shipyard on the way to the headquarter... 

"While the soldiers get the shooting range set up, let's start with hand-to-hand," Magath says.

Shooting?

Huh? W-wait. Shooting? L-like with the rifles they assembled in the morning? They're going to shoot...?

Eren looks to the other Warrior Candidates and just barely manages to catch Marcel's eyes.

"Targets," Marcel whispers. "We're shooting targets."

Yeah, no shit. But the targets are... Erm... They're cardboard and things, right? They're not going to be shooting live animals or humans?

"If you want, we can ask to let you sit out," Marcel continues, brows furrowing in worry.

Eren shakes his head. He's not worried about that. Sure, he hasn't really had time to shoot a rifle before, but it can't be that different from shooting an anchor. He's more curious as to what their target will be.

"Huh? Of course, a target's going to be a target," Porco says. He shakes his head. "Are you stupid?"

This guy is quite possibly the most useless person to ever ask a question. Eren must be brain-dead to keep forgetting that to ask him.

"Wooden targets," Reiner quickly interjects.

Eren feels himself relaxing immediately. "If it's that, then this is going to be easy!"

* * *

"Any predictions?" Magath asks.

"Well, if it's hand-to-hand, Annie's got this in a bag," the Jaw Titan points out.

From the exasperated look on Magath's face, it's clear that that's not what he's asking for. Zeke turns to the Attack Titan, who seems to be lost in thought. Then he glances at the rest of them.

"Annie," he agrees.

Once those words have left his mouth, his attention focuses on Eren. Waiting for Eren to break that prediction, Zeke surmises. Even though he wants his little brother to do well, Zeke is relieved that it's hand-to-hand. There's no way for Eren to be able to defeat Annie. Not when her father drilled into her martial arts that can't be found normally in Liberio. And around the time that she became a Warrior Candidate, she shattered her father's leg to the point that he would never be able to walk again using those same techniques he drilled into her. It was probably her way to make sure he'll never teach it to anyone else so that she'll stay as the most important hand-to-hand combatant amongst the Warrior Candidates.

It's better that Eren doesn't do well. It's for the best that Eren stays out of line of sight from the Marleys.

That's the only way for Zeke to protect him.

It was easier when Eren was younger and Zeke could pick him up with one arm. When Eren giggled into Zeke's chest and excitedly yelled out, "Zee!" When Zeke could get away with telling Eren the barest of minimum without ever being questioned by those curious eyes. When Eren's trust in him was worth more than his desire to know more.

If Zeke could have stopped his little brother from wanting to become a Warrior Candidate, he would have sold whatever remains of his soul for that.

But to selfishly demand that of his little brother would make him no better than the Marleyans he swore to fight against.

He regrets it, of course. But clipping Eren's wings and preventing him his own decisions wouldn't be fair nor right. Letting children have room to make their own mistakes... It's not something Zeke ever had, but he wants it for Eren. Because that's not a normal right given to an Eldian.

That's why he refuses to allow the Attack Titan to do as he wills.

*

Pieck doesn't bother to try, throwing in the towel with a bright smile almost immediately. It means that Eren gets to stay in the rounds longer. Even though they drew straws to figure out the order, Zeke is infinitely grateful that his brother won't be hurt.

Until he realizes that Eren will be fighting Annie in the next round. Reiner was too easy of an opponent for Annie to defeat.

"I-it's fine to give up!" Zeke shouts from the sideline.

Maybe that's what Pieck was trying to do. She showed everyone that it was fine to give up the match without even trying. But from that excited grin on Eren's face, Zeke is pretty sure that Eren didn't catch it.

"Annie, Eren, both of you ready? Go!"

No surprise, Annie moves first. She always does. In short, swift movements, she completely locks out her opponent. It's a deadly style that takes advantage of her smaller build and speed. And just like clockwork, everyone falls for...

What's Eren doing?

H-how is it that Eren isn't budging? That form that Annie uses is the same. Annie sweeps you off your feet with one leg and then flips you with her arms using the momentum. But Eren isn't budging despite Annie's attempts.

Then just as suddenly, Eren moves. He shoves Annie back by tackling her to the ground. By the time they have registered the flip of this unexpected situation, Eren locks Annie in a chokehold. It's in that moment. When they're all frozen in disbelief of what just happened, Zeke sees Eren's eyes.

Not in the sense of the color, mind you.

But of a certain coldness in them.

No... It's not quite that they're cold like he has shut down his feeling. It's... a little more like cold anger. That point when red hot rage hits a boiling point so hot that it suddenly cools into ice. Zeke's read about it before, but he's never witnessed it for himself. Anger around him have always been in large outbursts and show of violence, both from the Marleyans and Eldians alike. Eren's default anger is red hot, too. But...

It feels like a personal grudge.

Except that can't be right. There's no vindictiveness in Eren's lips. There's no glee in his eyes. There's a saying Zeke once read. "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He didn't really get it then, but looking at the cold anger in Eren's form, he thinks this is what it might look like.

"E-enough!" Commander Magath finally manages to say. "This is Eren's victory."

Eren's hold stays for a second longer than it should. But then he releases Annie and takes three steps away as if he's terrified of something. Annie turns towards him, lips drawn back into a sneer and-

"How'd you do that? That was awesome!" Porco exclaims as he rushes to slap Eren's back.

It breaks the ice.

The others crowd around Eren, cheering and excitedly asking him questions. Annie seems to take the time to take a deep breath. The scowl is gone, replaced by her typical look of calm. She approaches the crowd.

"How did you do that?" she echoes the question from earlier.

She silences everyone with those sharp words. Zeke won't be shocked if the other Warriors are also listening in.

"The core of your move is using someone else's weight and momentum against them. So the first thing I have to do is make sure you can't easily flip me. I shifted my center lower so you wouldn't be able to knock me off."

Eren did what?

D-did he... analyze Annie's fighting style? And he changed his movements to neutralize Annie's techniques? A-and he can voice the reasoning that he used to do that?

No, no. Eren reacts in fights. He's an instinctual kind of kid. He doesn't stop to analyze what is happening. He moves first and struggles to put words to the actions that he took. Of course, he does. He's a kid. He doesn't have the words nor the experience enough to be able to verbalize his fighting decisions. But Eren just now-

"Y-you what?" Porco asks, looking confused.

"Shift your center. You know, you just... shift," Eren says with a shrug.

That. That's Eren. He knows how to move, but he doesn't really know how to put that into words. See? It's Eren. Jeesh, why does Zeke feel so unnerved for? It's Eren. There's nothing to worry about.

"So you remember Annie's fighting style?" Colt asks.

Oh. Maybe that's why Zeke felt uneasy. That is kind of weird that Eren would remember that but not anyone else, right?

"I mean she just fought Reiner. Remember? We all watched it?" Porco points out.

When Porco says it like that, it's hard not to feel stupid.

"Let's fight again," Annie tells Eren.

Magath clears his throat for attention. The children immediately snap to attention.

"Time for the next round. Bertolt, it's you and Porco."

The children clear the area for the next spar.

"Marcel will win," the Attack Titan predicts. "But I can't see who he fights."

There's no grin on his face. He's watching the children with a tenseness that's echoed on the rest of the Warriors. Despite things unfolding the way he wanted, he doesn't seem very happy. Zeke hopes that's a sign of the Attack Titan's humanity.

*

Porco brings down Bertolt without much fanfare. No shock, Marcel puts Colt down. Then the two brothers face off with matching grins.

Zeke doesn't pay too much attention to their spar. His eyes are set on Eren, who has been sandwiched between Reiner and Pieck. The three seem to be discussing something with Annie boring holes into their backs. Zeke wonders if it's more about Eren defeating Annie. If so, he wonders if he can sneak over there to listen in.

"Looks like it'll be Marcel and Eren fighting," Xaver comments lightly.

He squeezes Zeke's shoulder as if to silently ask him if he's alright. Zeke offers his best calm smile. There's nothing to worry about. Marcel and Eren have sparred plenty of times before. Typically, Marcel wins. Not because Eren can't keep up, but because Marcel's smart. He knows how Eren fights and uses that to his advantage. See? The two of them are...

How odd.

Marcel isn't smiling. Neither is Eren. The two watch the other as if to study them.

Normally when the two of them sparred, they both grinned at each other like this was playtime. To see them like this, it feels like they've been robbed of their childhood fun.

Marcel moves first, experimentally throwing a punch that is easily dodged. Eren's kick is parried with a knee. Then they seem to find their rhythm as they slowly move faster.

And they find their grins.

It must be nice being children. They smile so easily at the smallest of things.

Zeke wonders why he feels so uneasy.

*

Marcel flips Eren down and declares his victory with a hand on Eren's chest.

"Give up?" Marcel asks, lips pulled into a satisfied grin.

Eren surprises them by laughing. "I give!"

"This is Marcel's victory," Magath announces.

Marcel helps Eren up, the two of them excitedly exchanging words about this and that. If it was before, Eren would be sulking and Marcel would be doing his best to not burst out laughing.

The feeling of unease won't settle.

"I didn't realize Eren learned martial arts," Xaver says lightly to Zeke.

"He... didn't?"

The words that leave Zeke's mouth is uncertain. He's not sure of it himself, actually. Did Eren learn martial arts? He can't recall Eren ever using forms or techniques. Sure, there were times when Eren imitated Annie's style, but it was never good enough to knock Annie off. No, no. Eren preferred playing dirty: throwing dirt at people, going for the eyes, and biting limbs were all fair game.

Thinking of it like that, it is beyond odd that Eren would start using techniques. The way he fought against Marcel was weird, too. It's almost as if Eren's fighting style changed since he lost his memories.

Is that possible?

"Perhaps he just picked it up by watching? He's quite quick on his feet," Xaver says.

"Y-yeah... I-it's probably that."

Xaver stares at Zeke for a second longer before he ruffles Zeke's hair. "Now, now. You're the big brother. If you're unsettled, you'll make Eren worried. Everything is fine, Zeke."

Zeke knows in theory how he should feel about this. So he amplifies it. A good actor to the end, after all.

"Yes. Thank you."

It's almost enough to make him believe it.

* * *

"There's no point in a shooting match, though. Bertolt'll win," Reiner grumbles.

"Eh? Bertolt can do something?"

The words left his mouth too fast to stop. Eren feels super guilty at the sight of Bertolt's hurt expression. Damn, he really should have thought about that more carefully. The Bertolt of his own world wasn't number three for nothing. And this Bertolt has already made such delicious cakes for him, proving that he was already better than that good-for-nothing flunky.

"S-sorry! T-that's not what I meant! I-I just... B-because you're so gentle! I didn't think you could do something useful!"

That was also not the way to phrase that.

Eren wants bury his face in his hands and cry.

Bertolt pouts and walks away. Damn it. Eren better apologize a lot later in hopes that Bertolt accepts it. He wants to eat those buns again, damn it.

"You're as elegant as ever with your words," Porco sniggers. He dares to pat Eren's back as if this is all just a fun and games.

"Don't worry. He'll cool off once he wins," Marcel says.

That cheers Eren up a bit, he supposes. But it's a bit annoying that everyone seems to accept that Bertolt will win without question.

"Well, he's the best at this. No one's been able to come close," Colt explains.

"But wouldn't it be fun if we upset that prediction?"

The four boys look at Eren and grin in answer.

*

"W-we... We have to be on our stomach? To fire?"

They look at Eren like he's an idiot, but he thinks this is a justified question.

"How else would we fire them? These rifles are bigger than we are," Marcel says.

Yes, that's true. But... Eren just thought that they would do this standing up. W-well, it's fine. He's fired anchors plenty of times in strange positions, often in mid-air. Firing a rifle like this can't be that difficult.

... Right?

*

It's hard.

It's so freaking ridiculously hard.

What the hell?

He's literally just squeezing the trigger. There's nothing to it. Just look through the scope and fire at the center of the target. Except every single one of Eren's shots have gone completely and humiliatingly off-course.

"Were you always this bad of a shot?" Pieck asks, sounding shocked.

"I-I'm doing my best!" Eren protests.

But he can already hear the others sniggering. Even Bertolt gives him a pitying look that makes Eren's ears burn.

"S-shut up! H-how are you getting the bullets to the target anyways? Every time I aim, it always go off-track!"

Bertolt tilts his head to the side before he kneels down next to Eren. He nudges Eren so that he can peer into the scope.

"Ah, that's the problem. You're aiming right at the center of the target."

Eren frowns. "How's that the problem? That's where I want to hit."

"Right, but the scope doesn't account for wind or the distance. So you have to aim while calculating that beforehand."

What kind of a kid does that kind of calculations in their head and hit the center? 

"And you do this every time?" Eren asks.

Bertolt glances up from the scope. "We all do. It's the basics."

And using that calculations, they kill people? Instead of using that insane brain for creating more amazing things like those streetlamps and discovering more witchcraft, they decided that taking another person's life is more important?

The people of this world makes no sense to him.

"Eren, try it now."

Bertolt pulls Eren close and moves a bit so that Eren can look through the scope. The rifle is pointing way off target, he thinks. But he also decides that it's not like his aim is any better. Might as well as take a chance.

What does he have to lose?

The bullet lands on the target.

Mind you, it's still not within the rings that denote that he has hit the mark. But this is a vast improvement over the bullets not even making to the target.

"It worked! It worked! Bertolt!"

"It didn't!" Bertolt exclaims, looking exasperated. "You still missed!"

"But this is the closest I've got it! Wait, let me try again. I bet I can do it now!"

*

After the shooting test, the rest are just typical physical tests like short-distance races, how far they can jump, and so on. It doesn't seem like anyone's too interested in these, though. In fact, the Warriors have already left along with Zeke.

"How come Zeke doesn't do these?" Eren asks.

Marcel glances at him before laughing. "Because he'd obviously outdo all of us! Besides, he's more or less set to inherit the Beast Titan. He doesn't really need to do tests as rigorously as we do. Well, since you're set to inherit the Jaw, it's fine if you don't show results, too."

"Is it important to be set to inherit a titan?" Eren asks.

"No shit. We're going through all of this headache to be a Warrior. If you're already set to get a titan, then you've more or less skipped that step," Porco says.

Right. Right. It's like saying that Eren is already set to join the Military Police, so he can fool around. Corruption sure is a powerful thing.

"Do you guys have titans you guys are aiming for?" Eren asks.

"The Colossal!" Porco declares with a wide grin. "Imagine! I'd be super tall!"

What a simple thought process. Is that how normal kids are supposed to think? Because the minute Porco said the Colossal, all Eren can think about is Bertolt's Colossal Titan peering over the wall. Armin's body burned to a crisp. The anguish of realizing that he is yet again not strong enough.

"I wouldn't mind the Armored," Marcel says.

Eren feels a chill. N-no way. It can't be because of what he's thinking. Marcel is probably, like Porco, thinking of something silly like... He can't think of anything. But it has to be something innocent, right? It's absolutely nothing like the devastation that Reiner caused with his Armored Titan, right?

"Ugh. You're such a sap! You want to protect everyone with the armor?" Porco groans.

Like that.

Actually, that's a good point. That armor on the Armored Titan could have been used to protect people, right? But Reiner made the choice to destroy the walls with it instead. To kill instead. Weapons are like that, after all. It's up to the user to determine how to use it. Then these titan powers must be the same.

It depends on the user.

Maybe if the Colossal and the Armored belonged to someone else... Maybe if the Female Titan belonged to someone else, those three wouldn't have ended up becoming murderers and traitors. Maybe they would have continued to have been comrades at arms together. Maybe things wouldn't have ended up turning out so bitter in the end.

"I don't know... It's pretty romantic, isn't it? Use my own body to protect the ones I love... kind of like a knight protecting his princess."

Marcel's voice is light, but it's clearly a provocation. Because Porco's face turns beet red, and he starts yelling about cheating and unfairness of it all. Eren doesn't really get it.

"Oh, right. You said you're hanging out with Reiner today. Can I tag along?" Marcel asks, ignoring Porco.

"It's not a problem with me. Actually, it might be better if there's more people."

Porco glances at the two of them with suspicious eyes. "What are you two planning?"

Eren can't help but to feel giddy at the question. He motions for the two of them to come close to him so he can whisper the secret. Making sure that no one else is around, Eren lowers his voice and...

"I want to climb a streetlamp!"

* * *

"No. No, no, no. The hell is this the first thing you decide to do the minute you come back to headquarter?" Porco exclaims.

Marcel can pretend all he wants, but Porco knows his brother thinks the same as he does.

"But aren't you curious? Do the streetlamps really have the same lightbulb as the ones we use? I just want a peek! I don't have to keep the lightbulb!" Eren pleads.

But he was planning on grabbing it, wasn't he? This idiot! How many times does Porco have to tell him that the lightbulb is hot? He's going to burn his hand at this rate!

The good news is that Eren isn't using _those_ eyes to try and convince them. Without a doubt, if Eren had decided to do that, then the two of them would have agreed in a heartbeat. Not because they're weak, mind you. But because Eren's just really good at guilting you like that. Y-yeah. That's why. Because they're good people that don't like seeing their friend cry, even if they know it's fake.

"Does it have to be one out here? If you just want to check for a lightbulb, you can check one inside the internment zone," Marcel says.

There's a small pause.

Then Eren lets out a startled shout. "There are streetlamps in the internment zone?!"

*

Reiner's expression is frozen when he sees Porco and Marcel next to Eren.

"E-Eren and I are h-hanging out..." Reiner starts. But he doesn't seem to know exactly what he wants to say, because he keeps looking to Eren for help.

"Reiner." Eren takes Reiner's hand and leans in close to whisper to him.

Porco doesn't have to have insanely good hearing to know what Eren is telling Reiner. It's probably something along the lines of, "Did you know there are streetlamps in the internment zone?"

Look at how petrified Reiner is. He probably, like Porco, was too caught up with Eren's enthusiasm for climbing a streetlamp to remember that there are indeed lamps in the internment zone that they could safely (at least more safely than the ones out here by headquarter) climb. So now that it's been laid clear thanks to Marcel's quick-thinking, they're all rubbing their temples while thinking themselves to be stupid. Climb a streetlamp? Sure. No problem, Eren. Let's just get out of the sight of Marleyan territory so none of their families get carted off to heaven.

"So since we can climb a streetlamp once we're inside the internment zone, let's do something that we can only do out here today!" Eren says loudly enough for all of them to hear.

Porco can't tell if Reiner is shaking his head no or if he's just shaking in fear in general. It's been a while since Porco felt bad for Reiner.

"Let's borrow a car!"

Scratch that, Porco feels bad for all of them.

*

"Shut up! We're going home!" Porco snaps.

He drags Eren behind him, ignoring how much Eren is whining and pointing at the streetlamps they're passing by. Ugh. This stupid idiot. Marcel is at least trying to help with calming Eren down by saying pacifying things. But Reiner, this stupid lump, is just walking next to them without offering to help. Porco gets that Eren is childhood friends with Reiner or whatever. But why bother keeping such a useless guy around? Aren't Marcel and Porco enough for Eren?

"Oh. There's a cat."

Porco pauses only because Eren stopped struggling. The four of them turn to stare across the street where a cat is standing, holding what looks to be a dead bird in its mouth.

"Poor thing," Reiner mumbles.

"What is?"

Reiner motions at the cat's mouth. "The bird. Cats always play with their food before killing. It must have been toyed with before it died."

Who the hell cares? It's a bird. The cat was hungry. So what? Yeah, it calmed Eren down from throwing a fit, but in the end, it's none of their business what these animals do. Why do they need to stop and stare?

"Is it trying to cross?" Eren wonders.

He pulls himself free from Porco's grasp. There isn't any sign of Eren about to climb the nearby streetlamp, so Porco decides to let him be for now. But he's going to grab Eren the minute he sees anything funny.

"Then it should do it fast before a car comes," Marcel says. He makes a motion for them to start moving again.

"Oh, a car."

Reiner points in the direction. But there's no way that the cat is-

The cat must be as dumb as Eren, because it's attempting to cross the street now. Why now of all times? Why couldn't it have done so earlier when the streets were empty? Or go after? This stupid-

Porco registers a flash of color. And he really, really regrets letting Eren take that scarf off. Because at least if he has that on, Porco can grab it and pull Eren back to safety. Because by the time his hand reaches out, Eren is already on the road.

Again.

It's happening again.

In front of his eyes, he's going to lose Eren again.

He's going to...

If you compare the reach of an adult to the reach of a child, there is no question that an adult's reach would be much longer. Isn't that unfair? Even though Porco wants so desperately to be able to save Eren, too, all he can do is watch.

A Public Security Authorities officer pulls Eren to safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not like he came here because he wanted to check out the Attack Titan's theory. He isn't curious about that child. He isn't. And to carelessly approach Zeke in Marley territory would be the same thing as jumping into the mouth of a titan. 
> 
> So why exactly is Eren Kruger here at the Warrior Headquarter, you ask? 
> 
> Well, if he had a good answer for that, he would have already said it. 
> 
> This isn't like him. This is too careless. 
> 
> He needs to be careful. Even if he's a Public Security Authorities officer, it still doesn't change the fact that he is an Eldian disguised as a Marleyan. He'll be lucky if he's sent to heaven. No, no. The punishment for someone like him would be far worse.
> 
> He knows all of that, yet he stands here.
> 
> But it bothers him. 
> 
> If the Attack Titan's theory is true, then that child might be able to become the key that they need. Without having to sacrifice Zeke, they might be able to...
> 
> What is that child doing?
> 
> Even if you lose your memory, shouldn't it be obvious that running into a road where a car is coming straight at you is dangerous? 
> 
> Damned that Attack Titan for getting Kruger involved in this stupidity. 
> 
> Even if it's a theory, if there's a chance to bring down Marley, then as the Owl, it would be foolish to let that chance disappear in an accident.
> 
> Kruger jumps into action.


	9. and you thought i was going somewhere with this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The man known as "Owl" has always been a question mark for Zeke. According to Dina, this Owl has a close relation with their family for as long as she has been alive. Zeke takes that to mean that this guy is a servant of the royal family line.
> 
> Which means he is loyal to the ideals of Eldia and not Zeke.
> 
> He knows that his mom meets up with this Owl from time to time, although majority of their communication is through messengers. From the few things Dina lets Zeke know and others that accidentally gets slipped, Zeke has been able to surmise that this Owl is observing everything from somewhere close. 
> 
> Somewhere close enough to watch everything without letting it slip that he is the Owl.
> 
> Which means that anything that happens in Zeke's life (or in Liberio in general, it seems like), Owl has most definitely heard about it or watched it happen. With how long Owl has been around, Zeke won't be shocked if Owl is actually just a name that gets passed on to the next person once the previous one... expires. That means even the Warriors are not safe from suspicion. 
> 
> It's only a matter of time before Dina (and the Eldian Restorationists) hear about the Attack Titan's theory about Eren.
> 
> Their little test with the assessment tests didn't prove anything. Or at least, Zeke doesn't think so. But it's possible that Owl saw something that Zeke missed. There are too many possibilities in front of him to be able to come up with a single, foolproof plan. But it's not like coming up with multiple plans will be enough if Marleys get involved. 
> 
> Eren performed one miracle by defying the Attack Titan's prediction. Will it be too selfish of Zeke to want his little brother to perform another one?

Among the young Warrior Candidates (we're not talking about Zeke here, since he's much older than the rest of them), Marcel is often praised for being quick-witted. He has good judgement, they say. Good, quick judgement. In a crisis situation, he can arrive on the "correct" course of action much faster than anyone else.

But what good is that when his body can't react fast enough to match his thoughts?

What good is that when his "quick" thought is much too slow compared to Porco's impulsive action? To Eren's?

By the time his mind has perceived the danger before him, Porco's already reaching for Eren. By the time his mind is desperately sending signals to his legs to start running, Eren is on his way to the cat.

By the time Marcel's body is ready to move, someone grabs Eren and Porco and throws them back into the safety of the sidewalk.

The Public Security Authorities officer glares down both Eren and Porco with a terrifying scowl.

If Marcel's body hadn't been ready to move, he would have been another second too late.

He throws himself in the path of the officer's kick, shielding his brother and his friend. It's good he moved when he did. The kick doesn't have as much force behind it due to him jumping in. It still hurts, don't get him wrong. But it doesn't hurt as much as it could have. And more importantly, it's not Porco or Eren who were hit.

"P-please forgive them! If anything, it's my fault for not teaching them how dangerous the road is. I'll take any punishment and teach them properly. So please let them be!"

The scowl on the officer's face does not change. "You'll take full responsibility?"

"Yes sir," Marcel says.

What else can he do but brace himself for the inevitable punishment?

* * *

Full responsibility?

That makes no sense.

The one who ran out onto the road is Eren. The one who didn't stop to think if that was dangerous was Eren. So why is Marcel the one that's getting a beating? If the road is dangerous and that's something that Eren should have known, that's on him for not knowing. It shouldn't be Marcel that's getting this punishment.

But Porco pins Eren down on the ground to prevent him from moving. When Eren struggles against it, Porco tightens his grip.

"Don't," he whispers, his voice shaking with effort. "Don't make this worse for him."

Make it worse...?

If Eren speaks up, it'll be worse for Marcel? And this is just... just accepted? A grown man in uniform beats a child in public and that's normal? And if you try to defend that child, the beating will be worse?

No, Eren does not understand.

This is a world that has mastered witchcraft. They can capture a moment in time in a photo. They can lock fire inside of these things called lightbulbs to use whenever they desire. They have invented a way for carts to run without horses or men to pull it. And that's not mentioning these airships in the sky.

What do you mean these same people consider beating children as something normal?

The officer kicks Marcel one last time before turning his attention towards them. He pulls Porco off and places his foot on top of Eren's stomach.

"But did you really learn your lesson?" the officer drawls.

He presses his foot down, grinding it into Eren's stomach. It hurts, but it can't be as painful as what Marcel just went through. From the corner of his eyes, he sees that Porco has ran to Marcel's side, whispering lowly. There's no sign of Reiner. Did that guy run away? That's probably for the best. It's better than having all of them beaten.

"If you're not sure, why don't you teach me yourself?" Eren growls.

The officer's foot stomps down, making Eren's stomach churn. If he receives another hit like that, he'll doubtlessly lose the lunch and snacks the Warriors put together for the party. Is dodging an option? Marcel endured the hits that the officer rained down. Is that what's expected of Eren, too?

But why the hell does he also have to go along with that?

"First, for as long as you have that armband on you, you are a property of Marley. Getting injured or killed without permission is forbidden."

The officer lifts his leg. Another stomp? Hah. Like hell Eren will let this guy-

He kicks Eren's side this time. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. Who the hell uses that much force? Eren just barely holds back from vomiting. He curls up into a ball, trying to catch his breath. Is this how much force this guy used on Marcel? Is this how much force he normally uses against children? Because the familiarity of how this person kicks lets Eren know that this is something this officer has done a thousand and one times.

"Second, who the hell do you think have to clean up your filthy Eldian blood if you died on the streets?"

Really? That's the reason?

Not because it's tragic when someone dies, but because you didn't want to clean up the mess afterwards?

The officer lets out a sigh before stepping down on Eren's arm. "Look at those defiant eyes. You still haven't learned your lesson?"

"O-officer! W-wait!"

Zeke approaches them slowly as one would when they see a raging beast. He has his hands up to show that he doesn't mean any harm as he quickly take in the situation. Eren can't meet his eyes. Behind Zeke, Reiner looks a second away from running to Eren's side. It wasn't that he ran away, Eren realizes. He must have ran to get Zeke. Eren mentally apologizes to Reiner for thinking poorly of him. He keeps forgetting. This isn't that traitor. This Reiner actually cares.

"I'm sure they learned their lesson. Please allow them to get medical attention."

The officer glances at Zeke in disinterest before turning his cold eyes on Eren. "I'm not convinced this child has learned his lesson."

Asshole...

Eren feels Zeke's eyes on him. Even without saying anything, Eren gets the message loud and clear. Show the officer what he wants to see, isn't that right? Do what Eren has done a thousand times in front of Military Police officers in hopes of getting their promised share of stale bread after the wall fell. Put aside his pride so that the people around him right now are no longer in danger.

Terrifyingly scary world, Grisha had said.

Eren understands his dad's sentiment.

"I see what I did was wrong. I'm sorry. I'll properly reflect on my actions, so please let Marcel see a doctor," Eren manages out.

The officer puts pressure on the foot on Eren's arm. "And which actions of yours were so wrong?"

Bastard. No matter what Eren says, this man is going to nitpick. If that's the case, might as well as-

His eyes catch sight of Marcel's worried expression. Even though he was beaten that much, he seems more concerned about what's going to happen to Eren. If Eren says the wrong thing here to appease his own wounded pride, wouldn't it just be Marcel who suffers? Wouldn't it be Zeke who will try to shoulder responsibility? Wouldn't Reiner and Porco both get dragged in as well?

Deep breaths, he reminds himself. Put aside his rage. At this moment in time, the priority has to be helping these kids.

"I shouldn't have risked injury to Marley's property," Eren says as evenly as he can.

The pressure on his arm lessens and disappears. The officer has retreated his foot.

"Etch that lesson into your heart," the officer tells him. Then to Zeke, he says, "Clean up this mess."

Hey, wait a minute. Isn't this guy the one who bitched about having to clean Eldian blood from the streets? But in the end, aren't Eldians the ones who'll be cleaning? Then what exactly did he have an issue with? What was the purpose of him jumping in aside from wanting to kick children around?

Reiner gently touches Eren's shoulder. "E-Eren? D-does it hurt a lot? D-do you want help to s-stand?"

Zeke seems to be talking to Porco and Marcel, possibly figuring out how bad Marcel's injuries are. Eren allows Reiner to help him up.

"Thanks," Eren mumbles. And just to make sure that it's not insincere, he adds, "Thank you for getting Zeke, too. Otherwise, it would have gotten worse."

Reiner looks touched, but his guilt must be eating at him. He lowers his head. "I-I'm sorry for not stopping you. I froze up."

That isn't on Reiner.

Eren is the one who made the decision to move. Eren is the one who took action. So why the hell are all these children trying to shoulder the blame? Frustration rages in his heart, threatening to spill over.

"Reiner, you didn't do anything wrong."

But his words sound too angry. His feelings are too wild in his chest, howling for revenge. Except what good would that do? What good is lashing out blindly? The ones who will bear the brunt of his anger if he were to scream now are the ones he wanted to protect.

"Marcel," Eren calls out. "Are you-"

He doesn't expect the punch.

It lands harshly against his left cheek. Not enough to break anything. Just enough to be a sharp reminder.

When Eren turns for a fight, Porco reels his head back and smashes his forehead against Eren's. And what the hell is this kid's head made out of? Eren sees stars for a second as Porco grabs the front of his shirt. Asshole! He wants a fight that badly? Fine! Eren will give him one.

Eren's punch lands heavily in Porco's gut. Porco sneers, and he-

"Porco, Eren! Don't," Zeke orders. He's carrying Marcel on his back. So Marcel was that badly injured...

Zeke's voice is sharp, a step away from full-blown anger. And damn it. Damn it. Eren shouldn't have lashed out like that. Why did he get pulled into Porco's pace? He should have just let Porco blow off his steam. What's he being so childish for? He should have-

Porco's arms wrap tightly around him. For just a second, Eren thinks Porco's going to pick another fight. That this guy hasn't had enough. He's going to keep throwing punches, no matter what Zeke says.

Then Eren feels the soft tremors of Porco's body.

"You're real, right?" Porco asks, voice just barely above a whisper. "You're not... not going to go away? I'm not going to lose you again?"

The anger finally leaves Eren like releasing a breath of air. But he doesn't feel any relief. He doesn't feel any lighter. All that's left is shame. Shame and frustration of his own helplessness and guilt for getting these kids caught up in his mess.

"I-I'm real. I'm not going away. Sorry, Porco. I didn't mean to make you scared."

Porco nods, burying his face against Eren's shoulder. Eren pretends that he can't hear Porco cry.

*

The cat's blood smeared body on the street seems like a cruel reflection of their current mood.

*

Zeke carries Marcel to the Jaeger Clinic. Porco and Reiner support Eren, even though he doesn't really need it. The Public Security Authorities officers at the gate seem shocked to see them in this state. They don't ask questions, surprising Eren, and usher the group through.

Eren wonders what thoughts raced through his family's heads when they saw how beaten and bruised Marcel is. But their expressions are quickly schooled as they rush to check over Marcel and Eren. It's so obvious how often his family has done this through the years. They don't let any sign of unease or discomfort through to prioritize making sure that the two of them are okay. Once they're sure of that, their attention turns to the rest of the group to make sure everyone's fine.

"I arrived at the tail end of it. So I'm fine," Zeke assures them.

"I-I... r-ran away to get Zeke, so I'm fine," Reiner mumbles, looking at the ground.

Porco glares at the ground without saying anything.

"Marcel got hit instead of us," Eren says for the two of them.

Grisha's lips pull into a frown for a second. Then he takes a deep breath. "I'll let Karina and your parents know, Porco, Marcel. Eren, we're going to talk about this later."

Yeah, Eren figured.

"Before that, Eren, I want to talk to you," Zeke says.

*

The room in the far back of the clinic is indeed a space for surgeries. The fact that Zeke opts to talk to Eren here lets him know that this room is probably the most soundproof room in the entire house. He'll be keeping that in mind.

Zeke's expression is stiff. He looks like he's contemplating a lot about this. Whatever it is that he's going to bring up, it's not going to be fun. Eren braces himself for a lecture he knows he deserves. If Zeke could also include in that lecture any future things about Marleyans that Eren should know, he would appreciate that, too.

"Are... you really Eren?"

But that's not what Eren prepared himself to hear. He is at a complete loss as to how to answer that.

"I-I know how that sounds. I'm sorry. That's a weird question. But it's just... Recently, you say and do things that Eren wouldn't. Even if it's because of memory loss, isn't it too weird that you know how to fight Annie all of sudden? Where did you develop techniques? Since when did you start analyzing people in fights? I'm... I'm overthinking this, right? You've always done this, and I just never knew about it because you kept it hidden. A-as your trump card. Right? You were saving this for the final test to be a Warrior. I'm nitpicking over nothing!"

What's this feeling of overwhelming relief?

It's okay now, right? He doesn't have to hide it anymore? He doesn't have to keep choking on the continuous lies he told in order to pretend he is the one their affections are for? He can just say it. He can finally just say it. It's not like anyone told him he couldn't say it. He just assumed no one would believe him anyways.

But if Zeke is the one who brought it up first, then he should be willing to listen, right? There might not be a way back home, but he can have someone he can trust and rely upon. He can have a haven from this sickening guilt in his stomach.

He can finally be free, right?

Eren takes a deep breath. "I am Eren."

Zeke moves too fast for Eren to squeeze out the rest of his words. He's engulfed in Zeke's tight embrace.

"Of course," Zeke whispers, his voice hoarse. "Of course, you're Eren. Of course, you are. I'm sorry. I knew I was being silly and dumb."

No, no. Zeke, please wait until Eren finishes. It's not like that.

"Listen all the way first. I am Eren. But I'm not _your_ Eren."

"Don't be silly. Of course, you are _my_ Eren. How can you be anyone else? I was in the wrong. I'm sorry if I scared you. You are Eren. Of course, you are!"

It's no good. Zeke isn't listening. No matter what Eren tries to say, Zeke drowns it out with his conviction. Did he come here with his mind already made up? So all he really wanted was to hear a confirmation? If Eren had said something different, would it have made a difference? Or did Zeke come here with no intention of listening to anything that differs from his thought? If Eren said the truth, would Zeke have come up with different excuses until Eren's patience ran out?

This is the second time in less than an hour that Eren is being hugged by someone trembling, but the situation can't be any different...

Except that's not quite true.

The reason why Porco hugged Eren and the reason why Zeke did is one and the same. They both wanted to be comforted. They both witnessed something that rattled them, and they wanted to be comforted by someone they loved and trusted. It's as simple as that.

When Eren thinks of it like that, he can't help but to think of his brother as a pitiful child.

Is this how Bertolt felt? Is this what Bertolt meant? In that moment when Eren was yelling at the two traitors and Bertolt said he pitied Eren, was this the same feeling that Bertolt held in his heart? This same feeling that began from their first encounter when Eren honestly told Bertolt and Reiner what happened to his mom? 

That Eren was a giant baby who couldn't even come to terms with reality. That Eren would rather play victim by blaming the world for all the wrongs in the world. That Eren took the easy way out. Because yeah, that's what it was, wasn't it?

When Eren didn't even let the traitors or Ymir explain anything and exploded at them without bothering to understand... Isn't that the same thing as Zeke refusing to listen to Eren explain his situation?

Is this what people mean by siblings are alike?

... Probably not, right? And really, what good is thinking about past events in a world he can no longer return to?

His focus should be what's in front of him now.

Eren takes a deep breath in and slowly releases it. He has a few options before him.

One - Try again. Again and again until it gets through to Zeke that Eren is indeed not his little brother. That the one Zeke loves so dearly has already passed and Eren is a look-alike at best. And then? Once that gets through to Zeke, what would happen? Wouldn't Zeke become resentful? As Eren has done to Reiner, wouldn't Zeke find ways to sabotage Eren? No, no. This is a horrible idea. The last thing he needs is an enemy that's actively trying to get rid of him.

Two - Plant the seeds. Leave just enough to be suspicious so that Zeke will can come to terms with it on his own later. The biggest problem with this, of course, is that Eren would have to walk the fine line between what is too much (which would doubtlessly push Zeke into this corner of denial again) or what is too little. This one'll end up being a pain to manage. Not to mention Eren would have to be on guard every single waking moment. That's too tiring.

Three - Give up. No one ever said that he had to tell the truth. And to be honest, from the way things are, he doubts that anyone would believe him. The one person who might have is having a mental breakdown while clinging to Eren right now. He probably missed his only chance to be able to come clean.

Hannes once said that time heals all wounds. Doesn't it stand to reason that Eren's guilt and discomfort will slowly heal away, too? He'll start feeling like he belongs here. That when someone grins at him and ruffles his hair, he can confidently say that this affection, this love, is for him.

That this is "home."

He wraps his arms around Zeke.

"Yeah, Zeke. I'm Eren."

He wonders how long that'll take.

* * *

"I'm fine," Marcel sighs in annoyance as he bats away Porco's hands.

"I don't believe you. You still wince when you move your arm," Porco argues back.

His words would be a lot more sincere if he wasn't grinning so widely. Does he find it so funny that Marcel's in pain? Honestly, Porco's personality is so rotten...

Reiner, who has been awkwardly fidgeting the entire time, suddenly perks up. No shock. Eren and Zeke are out of the surgery room. Zeke must have said a corny joke, because Eren groans and rolls his eyes. The two of them look as close as ever. Zeke is so lucky. Eren is such a nice little brother. Nothing rotten like Porco...

"Ow! Did you just pinch me?" Marcel yelps in disbelief.

Porco smugly responds with, "Then pay attention."

To what, you absolute brat?!

"I'm a patient! Treat me better!"

"Ehhh? I thought you were 'fine,' Marcel! Were you lying? Should I ask Dr. Grisha to give you a shot?" Porco teases.

How exactly would a shot help in this situation? If you're going to threaten someone, at least make some sense!

Marcel sighs. "Eren! Take Porco away! I can't heal with this brat next to me!"

"You heard him, Porco." Eren shoves Porco off of the chair by Marcel's bedside and sits down. "You lost your nursing privileges."

"What? Y-you can't do that!" Porco shouts.

He tries to get his seat back by pushing Eren off. But Eren grips tightly to the chair, refusing to give it up. It ends up with Eren falling with the chair to the ground with a yelp.

"E-Eren!" Reiner exclaims.

In his haste to help Eren, he must have stubbed his toe or something. All Marcel sees from the clinic bed is Reiner fall to the ground with a splat. He didn't even make it to where Eren and Porco are, wrestling for the chair.

"What am I going to do with you kids?" Zeke sighs, dramatically shaking his head at all of them.

Marcel finds himself giggling before he can stop himself. What a relief. After their brush against the Public Security Authorities officer, he didn't think he'd be able to laugh this soon. But if it's like this, then it's as if nothing has changed. They're going to be fine.

He glances to his side where both Porco and Eren have stopped fighting to stare at him. I-is there something on his face? Why are they looking at him so intensely for? W-well, Marcel has heard often that his dad was a great looker back in the day. A-and he's certain that he's received those genes, so he probably is also a good looker and-

"Marcel, did you get a tooth knocked out?" Eren asks.

Ugh. Please let him dream a little longer.

"W-what of it?" Marcel grumbles as he covers his mouth.

He doesn't like that downcast expression on Eren's face. Well, he's never liked it when Eren looked down, so he supposes that's just a part of that. But the expression on Eren's face right now can only mean one thing.

"It's not your fault," Marcel says. "We should have mentioned that cars are dangerous. That Marleyan was just a jerk. Besides, none of us got too badly hurt. So there's nothing to worry about, see?"

How uncool. He's rambling. But Eren should have understood his intentions from that. I-it's okay if he seems a little uncool, because it's to let Eren know that everything is fine, right?

"Are you really okay?" Eren asks.

According to Dr. Grisha, Marcel will be just fine. Sure, he'll be sore for a while, and he'll probably have a bit of a hard time keeping his food down for a bit (that asshole officer targeted Marcel's stomach especially). But otherwise, he'll be fine. Bruised and bloodied is all he is. No broken bones, no permanent damage.

All in all, it's actually pretty light compared to how bad the beating felt at the time. It's almost like that officer aimed for these spots specifically...

Nah, no way. Marleyans aren't that precise nor are they that careful. Marcel was just lucky.

"I'm fine! You and Porco both worry too much!"

"If you're fine, then go home," Reiner mumbles.

Oh, so now that Eren's around, Reiner suddenly grew a backbone, did he? Eren might have been fine with Reiner running off to get Zeke. But Marcel hasn't quite forgiven Reiner for that. In that situation when Eren did not know about the dangers of Marleyan officers, Reiner chose to abandon Eren's side.

"But Reiner, you're the one with the least amount of injuries. If anyone, shouldn't you go home?" Marcel asks with an innocent smile.

Porco gives Marcel a look. "Your personality's rotten."

Hello kettle, meet pot.

"None of you guys are going anywhere before your parents get here," Zeke reminds them.

Right... Their parents... Marcel can already hear the lectures. From the looks on everyone else's faces, he imagines they can, too.

"Guess that's my cue to talk to my dad," Eren sighs.

Zeke ruffles his hair. "There, there. Just tell him what you told me, and he'll understand."

That can't be all that they talked about in the privacy of that room. They were in there for too long for it to have been just about that. Marcel is curious to know, but he knows it's probably not his business. He wonders if Eren would tell him later.

"Ow! Porco, stop pinching me!"

"You had this expression I didn't like."

Learn how to be a better little brother from Eren!

*

Reiner's mom arrives first. Although her expression is grim, she doesn't explode at Reiner in public. Marcel's and Porco's mom does, though.

"I can't believe you two! How many times do I have to say to be careful when you're out in the Marleyan side of Liberio? Do you want all of us to be sent to heaven? I thought I raised you better than that!"

Marcel sighs. "Mom, I'm injured. Can you-"

Her answer is to grab Marcel by the ear. At the very least, she also grabbed Porco's ear, so it's fair. Porco gives Marcel a dirty look, though. Hey, they're both in pain! Marcel didn't purposefully say that to incite things!

"I-it's... not their fault. They were just trying to protect me. I-I'm sorry. It was my fault that they got in trouble. A-and it's my fault that Marcel got hurt. Please don't blame them."

Good old Eren, turning on the waterworks to distract the adults. See? Even Marcel's mom is faltering! Hehe. Even if you know that Eren's waterworks are fake, you can't win against it. That's just how good of an actor Eren is.

Carla grabs Eren's ear and gives her son a withering look. "We know, Eren. You're not off the hook either. Why don't you show that you're sorry by starting with doing the chores?"

"E-eh?"

Marcel underestimated Eren's mom's immunity to his crocodile tears. And now that Eren has been removed from the situation, Porco's and Marcel's mom turns to them with a sweet smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Why don't we talk about your punishments, too?"

*

"Thank you very much for your help as always, Dr. Grisha," Marcel overhears his mom say. "I apologize for my dumb boys for dragging Eren and Zeke into their mess."

"On the contrary, I don't think Eren would have been safe if it wasn't for Marcel and Porco stepping in like that. So thank you for raising your boys well."

Marcel mentally thanks Dr. Grisha for his sweet words. So that's where Eren gets it from.

"If you're too kind to them like that, they'll take advantage of you," Marcel's mom warns Grisha.

There's no need to smear Marcel's name like that! Porco makes sense, but Marcel? He's an angel!

"Is it alright to take Marcel home?"

He has to go home? But he's injured! Why can't he just stay at the clinic? I-if it turns out that he's actually more injured than previously thought, doesn't it become dangerous for him to leave? By that logic, he should just stay the night!

"Yes. That's fine. Marcel was very clever and minimized the damage he received. I was really impressed he could do that so well at his age."

Thank you for the compliment, but Marcel was hoping that Grisha would be on his side of things all the way through. Not switch in the middle.

C'mon, think. Marcel should come up with a reason why he should stay at the clinic before his mom and Dr. Grisha make the decision for him. He glances around the clinic, trying to think. Reiner is getting scolded by his mom in the corner. Zeke left a while back. Porco and Eren seem to be locked in a heated discussion about which streetlamp to climb...

Ah shoot. Marcel forgot about that. They'll probably have to push that off until later. Otherwise, he's too terrified of dealing with these two when he's not fully healed.

"Porco, Marcel, say your goodbyes. We're heading back," Marcel's and Porco's mom yells out.

Damn it. Give him some time to think, please!

"Don't sulk. It's gross," Porco tells him ruthlessly.

Marcel pouts. "I'm not sulking!"

Eren glances between Porco and Marcel for a second before poking Marcel's cheek. Whose side is he on? If he's just going to make fun of Marcel, he'd appreciate it if he left Marcel's cheek out of this.

"We have more than enough beds. I bet you could stay if you ask," Eren says.

Marcel perks up. That's his Eren!

"If Marcel's staying, I'm staying!" Porco growls.

"Oh, are we having a sleepover?" Reiner asks.

Damn it. When did this guy get here? Wasn't he getting yelled at by his mom just a second ago? Can he please go away again?

Eren shrugs. "It's fine by me."

Don't be fine, Eren!

*

"No."

The adults are merciless in crushing their hopes and dreams.

"This is a clinic," Marcel's and Porco's mom says disapprovingly. "Don't use it as a playground."

"Reiner, we're going home," Reiner's mom says.

Their mothers are too strict! Marcel bets that if his dad was here, they would be able to stay. By that, he really means that he knows exactly what to say to convince his dad. His mom knows his tricks too well to fall for it, unfortunately.

In this case, the only person who might be able to do something is Eren!

"I guess this is bye. See you tomorrow, guys!" Eren says.

Eren! Marcel trusted you!

Grisha watches them for a second before giving Marcel a wink. "Oh! Actually, there's a test I forgot to run! I'm so sorry. It completely slipped my mind. Would it be alright if I asked Marcel to stay for the night?"

Could it be? Is Dr. Grisha on his side?

When Porco gives Marcel a dirty look, Marcel can only offer a shrug in response. If the doctor insists, there's nothing that Marcel can do!

*

"Did you really forget to run tests or did you just say that to indulge Eren and Marcel?" Carla asks, giving Grisha a side-look.

But she waited until everyone left first, so Marcel isn't complaining.

"I don't think there's any harm in letting them have some time together," Grisha says.

Eren nudges Marcel. "Are you really okay?"

"Yup!"

So they can go play, right?

"Then let's climb a streetlamp!"

Eren... Why are you like this?

"No, no, no," Carla mercifully says, rescuing Marcel. "You have chores first. Remember?"

Sorry Eren. But Marcel isn't helping with that.

*

It's not until after diner that Eren sits down next to Marcel in the clinic bed with a book.

"Since I'm nursing you, I'll read to you," he says.

This isn't one of the books that Zeke brought to the hospital, but it's still filled with careful notes in the margin. Did Eren go through this book on his own yesterday? Eren never ceases to amaze Marcel in terms of dedication and hard work. No wonder he was able to bring down Annie, memory loss or not. Eren was probably working on that in secret before. So when he faced Annie, his body remembered what to do even if Eren had no memory of it. 

Jeesh, isn't that way too cool?

"Sometimes, you say and do things that make me really scared that you'll leave," Marcel admits as he snuggles in next to Eren.

"Huh? I do?" Then a little nervously, Eren asks, "Is... that a recent thing?"

Marcel shakes his head. "You're always like that. Whether it's before you lost your memories or now... Hey Eren, what are you chasing that makes you run off at every opportunity?"

"I can't speak for back then, but I just... can't seem to stand still," Eren answers sheepishly.

Hehe. That's the same thing Eren said before he lost his memory, too. Maybe that's just how Eren is. Memory or not, that's just part of what makes Eren who he is.

An inability to stand still...

"But if you keep moving like that, then how am I supposed to stay by your side?" Marcel whines.

There's a look on Eren's face that Marcel doesn't know how to describe. His throat feels dry. The words of an apology rises to his tongue. He doesn't think he said anything wrong, but he feels the need to apologize. Just anything if it means that that look goes away.

"Y-you shouldn't think like that. There's no need for you to struggle to be by my side," Eren mumbles, shaking his head.

Now that's not fair. Even if Eren says that, isn't it much too late? If that's how Eren feels, then doesn't that just make Marcel an idiot for-

"Because I'll also be by your side."

... Huh?

Eren grins. "We're friends, right? Then it shouldn't be a matter of chasing. If I move too fast, call me and I'll slow down. If I don't see you next to me, I'll move until I am. We should both put in the effort to stay next to each other."

Both put in the effort...?

It's such a simple concept. But Marcel professes that he never thought of it. Maybe it's because both Porco and Eren are so impulsive that they react first and then think later. Both of them run off while Marcel is spinning his wheels. By the time Marcel catches up, it always felt like all he did was damage control.

That he was always the one lagging behind.

But maybe he was looking at it from the wrong angle.

"Because we're friend?" Marcel asks quietly.

"Because we're friends," comes the confident answer.

Marcel's heart feels unusually light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carla wonders if maybe she's becoming too overprotective of Eren. But with everything that has happened around her son, she can't help but to feel anxious. What if this will be the event that stops Eren for good? What if this next thing will be the reason why her baby boy won't return home?
> 
> There was already a prediction of Eren's death that was narrowly dodged. But there's no guarantee that this luck will continue.
> 
> She knows that Eren would throw a fit if he knew. That's why she's sneaking a peek at his room in the middle of the night. Just to make sure that he isn't suffering from a nightmare again.
> 
> And, of course, Eren's bed is empty. 
> 
> She should have expected that when Grisha suggested for Marcel to stay the night in the clinic.
> 
> With a soft sigh, she moves to check up on her dumb child in the clinic. If he's having a nightmare, he's going to end up disturbing Marcel. Honestly, what kind of a clinic treats their patients like that? Even if Grisha wanted to spoil Eren, isn't this a bit too much?
> 
> "Oh."
> 
> Marcel glances up at the sound and offers a sheepish smile. Then he returns to humming a soft lullaby while running his fingers through Eren's hair. No sign of nightmares here. 
> 
> What a reliable big brother.
> 
> It looks like there's nothing for her to do here but to wish them a soft good night.


	10. do you ever think about the fact that Marley could've been steampunk and regret what could have been?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You have got to be..."
> 
> How fucking convenient. Of course, it's like this. He'd be tempted to accuse the Attack Titan of lying, except that look of devastation is more than enough of proof that he isn't.
> 
> "We'll lose half our force, even with the Warriors there," the Attack Titan says, glaring at the map of their troop's location.
> 
> Theo Magath forces himself to take a deep breath. Damn this predetermined future business. If these damned Eldians want to live a predictable life, they should do it on their own. Why is it that everyone seen in that prediction ends up being involved? If the Attack Titan saw half the force being destroyed, then that's it. They will lose half of their force.
> 
> On top of that, because this is an already deployed force of a different division, Theo can't even order some of them away to reduce the amount of people killed. The only thing he can do is wait for the call in the morning for their SOS to lead the Warrior Division into battle. Otherwise, it'll end up as a paperwork nightmare. Damn it. What good is being able to see the future when it's on such a short notice?
> 
> "I'll let the Candidates know that they'll have a few days off."
> 
> This is what he gets for working late in the headquarter. Although most of the Warriors should have their own homes to return to in the internment zone, some of them insists on being a headache by staying in the headquarter. The Beast Titan makes sense, since he's always neck deep in some form of research. But the Attack Titan? The only reason he stays here is most definitely to bother Theo with his newest prediction.
> 
> "No. Deploy the kids. If all else fails, Eren Jaeger should be able to-"
> 
> "What the hell do you think a single child would be able to do to stop half of our forces from dying?" Theo snaps. 
> 
> "He might be able to change it," the Attack Titan insists.
> 
> This is irresponsible on too many levels. Does this Eldian realize his position? Change the future? Perhaps he's right. Perhaps it is possible for a single child to change the course of a battle. Perhaps there's now someone who can exist outside of the Attack Titan's predictions. 
> 
> And if there isn't?
> 
> The Warrior Candidates have been specially handpicked to inherit the titans in a few months. There is no time to find replacement ones, not with the Warriors' terms expiring soon. If the prediction is half of their forces will be wiped out, then there's too great of a chance of half of the Warrior Candidates being swept up in that.
> 
> It was bad enough when Eren Jaeger almost died. Theo would rather not go through that headache again.
> 
> "No. They're staying," Theo declares.
> 
> The Attack Titan shakes his head grimly. "Unfortunately, I'm not saying that as a plea, sir. The Candidates were present in the prediction."
> 
> "Awful damned convenient, isn't it?" Theo growls.
> 
> "I don't know what I can tell you that won't sound suspicious. This is the future that I saw. Even if you were to leave those kids, they will somehow end up on that battlefield. That's how my powers work."
> 
> Yeah, yeah. Theo doesn't need a lecture.
> 
> "I'll get the word out in the morning."

It takes Eren a second to remember that the warmth next to him in bed is not Mikasa or Armin. By the time that registered, he has already pushed that person off the bed to protect himself. It's not until he hears Marcel's yelp that he realizes what he has done.

"M-Marcel?! What are you doing in my bed?"

"Pfftt!!! Hahaha! That's a hella way to wake up your patient!" one of the other patients in the clinic laughs.

Right. Clinic.

Eren must have fallen asleep here while reading to Marcel. And then he just pushed Marcel off of the bed come morning. Damn. This is embarrassing.

"H-hey, you alright?" he asks, peeking over the bed.

Marcel gives him a stink eye. "You're worse than Porco!"

*

"Aw come on, Marce! Please, forgive me?" Eren begs as he offers his strawberries during breakfast.

From how hard Marcel is trying to fight off that grin on his face, Eren figures he more or less won. But it won't be a true victory until Marcel admits defeat. Until then, Eren shall strike, strike, and strike!

"Please? I'll even give you a part of my toast."

Marcel pretends to think hard about it. "I don't know..."

"Must be nice having a cute wife care that much about you," one of the patients sighs.

"If you miss it that much, you should hurry up and heal and go home to yours," Carla says lightly.

"Now you're just teasing me! She's the one who put me in here, you know!"

"You tripped down the stairs. Remember? You drank too much?"

"Carla, you have no sense of humor! I'm telling Grisha!"

Eren stabs Marcel's toast with his fork. "If you don't forgive me, I eat this."

Ah, good. Marcel's expression is that of alarm.

"H-hey! Wait a minute!"

"So you forgive me, right?" Eren asks.

Marcel sighs heavily. "Yes, Yes. I forgive you."

Eren releases his hostage with a laugh. Sweet, sweet victory~

"You're such a kid," Marcel groans.

Eren sticks his tongue out at him in response. He should've remembered that Carla's in the room, because he immediately receives a scolding for teasing a patient.

He'd just like to remind everyone that he was also beaten yesterday!

*

When there's a knock on the door, Eren assumes it's Porco or Reiner, here to pick them up. But the atmosphere seems too tense for that. The adults look like they're uneasy about something. So it can't be a kid at the door.

He realizes that Marcel is glancing at him so he meets eyes with him. It's quite possible that Marcel is trying to say something with his eyes. But Eren is afraid he never quite mastered that ability.

"The bathroom is over there," Eren informs him. Quietly, of course. In case Marcel is embarrassed that he didn't know.

Marcel gives him a dry look.

Okay, that wasn't what Marcel wanted to say.

"If it's the Marleyan officer from yesterday..."

Oh. Oh! Why didn't Marcel just say so?

Eren touches shoulder with Marcel to let him know that it's fine. "If that happens, we'll just get rid of him."

"No, you're not understanding this at all!"

Was that too naive of a thought? But of all the Marleyans Eren has met thus far, only that officer yesterday was rude and short-tempered. The others kept to themselves and were pretty pleasant. Therefore, doesn't it make sense that the officer yesterday was a bad apple? The thing about bad apple is that you have to get rid of it fast or it'll start contaminating others around it.

Because the Warrior Candidates trained to kill and participated in battles, Eren assumed that Marcel would be okay with the thought of getting rid of bad apples to save the batch. But he supposes that Marcel is a kid, after all.

Eren should take care of that himself at a later time.

"Sorry! It was a bad joke!" Eren says instead.

Marcel looks worried as he leans close to Eren to whisper. "You can't joke about things like that carelessly, Eren. Someone might report you."

... Report...?

"We may be Warrior Candidates, but that doesn't mean we're completely protected from being sent to heaven. You have to watch what you say unless you're with me in private."

S-sent to...? What a terrifying way to describe killing someone. Is that the reason why Marcel allowed himself to be beaten instead of fighting back? With Marcel's abilities, he should have been able to put a dent on that officer, even if it wasn't a complete victory. Is this part of that Marleyan-Eldian divide?

"Marcel, Eren," Eren's grandma says as she comes into the clinic area with a tight smile. "It seems that you guys will be reporting in for duty later than usual. T-the officer wanted me to tell you to pack for three days."

Three days? Is this for the assessment test? They're going somewhere for it? Huh. Then this must be a way to test their ability to work with each other and how they react in a high-stress situation. But haven't they more or less done that when the Eren of this world was shot on the battlefield? Then again, Eren currently is someone who "lost" his memories. They'll probably want to test him (and the others' abilities to work with him).

"Are you going to leave to get your things?" Eren asks Marcel.

There's a tired look on Marcel's face. "If I don't, I imagine Porco will 'pack' random things and say he did it for me."

It must be hard to live with someone like Porco.

"I'll walk with you. Give me a few!"

*

By the time Eren is packed, Porco is at the clinic with two bags.

"Aw, but I wanted to go over to your place!" Eren whines.

Porco gives him a look. "I bet you wanted to climb a streetlamp on the way."

Tch. There is more to Eren than streetlamps, you know. Eren recently got his hands on this thing called a screwdriver, and it is quite possibly the coolest tool ever. That's not to say that he wants to use the screwdriver on a streetlamp or anything, but he's just saying. It'll be easier to take apart the streetlamp with one. 

Marcel looks through his bag, looking genuinely surprised. "I thought you'd just put random things in here."

"Mom packed yours," Porco tells him.

Marcel lets out a sigh of relief. It seems they have their own family problems, huh?

Since Eren's grandma made the announcement, it looks like Eren's family members are discussing something rather seriously. But it's not like they can stop Eren from going. From how Marcel made it sound, it doesn't seem like they have any power to disagree with Marleys. Else they'll be sent to heaven, right? Man, what an awful way of phrasing it.

"Why did mom pack this?" Marcel exclaims in disbelief.

He holds up a surprisingly cute looking bunny doll. It's clearly been through a few years of rough play, seeing how many patches it has. But that makes it look homey. The bunny doll is decently sized in Marcel's arms, although Eren suspects it'll be small if Zeke were to hold it. It probably takes up a lot of space in Marcel's luggage, though.

Porco sniggers, letting both Marcel and Eren know that he had a hand in it. "I figured you'd like a sleeping buddy. After all, that's why you couldn't come home last night, right?"

Wow, Eren doesn't think he was ever this petty to Mikasa... Was he? If he was, he sends her his utmost sincere apologies. It must have been a pain to deal with.

"I don't need a sleeping buddy!" Marcel exclaims, his cheeks flushed red.

"Then you don't need Eren at nights, now do you?" Porco smirks in superiority. "Eren, be my sleeping buddy for this mission!"

How cute. They need sleeping buddies for overnight trips? Can they not sleep well if they're far away from home? Times like these, it really reminds Eren how young these kids are.

"Sure, that's fine with me," Eren says.

Porco beams. Was he that upset that he didn't get to stay at the clinic last night? He really hates being separated from his big brother, huh?

"It's cute that you need a sleeping buddy!" Eren tells Porco.

"T-that's not what..." Porco blushes and glowers at Eren. This guy goes through pretty extreme mood swings. "I-it's not that I need one! I'm old enough to sleep without one. B-but you need one! So I'm just being a good friend and volunteering!"

Eren laughs and pats Porco's shoulder. "Yes, yes. I'm sure."

It's clear that Porco is just a second away from hitting his boiling point. Eren shouldn't tease him too much. He is older than them, after all.

"Porco," Eren says, leaning in close. "Thank you."

He could have sworn that should have calmed Porco down, but Porco's face turns beat red before he kicks Eren's calf. Ow. Ow. This stupid-

"You're an idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" Porco yells.

"The one who says it is the idiot!" Eren yells back, feeling frustrated. He was being mature, damn it! 

Marcel takes a slow breath in.

*

"Carla, my love! I'm being sent away on a mission!" the Jaw Titan yells out as she opens the door to the clinic.

Just a little, Eren can't help but to wonder if maybe the clinic is a beacon of sorts for the Warrior Division members. Because just a few minutes ago, Reiner arrived, too.

"You guys are going, too?" she asks when she sees their packs.

"Isn't it just part two of the assessment test?" Eren points out.

The look on her face says otherwise. "No, we're responding to an SOS. Your tests should resume once we return. But if you guys are being sent as well... Ahhhh, don't make that face, Carla! I'm sure it means that the Attack Titan saw our undeniably easy victory! So we'll use it as a teaching opportunity, you know?"

Foresaw an easy victory, huh?

This is probably better for Eren, though. He can take this time to learn more about the Warrior Division and these "pure titans" that they supposedly use as weapons.

*

"Eren, if you feel that this is too much, you can ask to sit it out," Grisha says seriously.

And watch as those kids throw themselves in danger in his place? Eren can't do that.

"Dad..."

Grisha sighs. "I know. I know. You won't do something like that, right? Perhaps I should've raised you to be more selfish."

To be honest, Eren thinks he's plenty selfish enough. At the very least, a certain horse-face would've said so. But that's probably not what Grisha wants to hear right now.

"You'll come home, won't you?"

It's at the tip of his tongue. "What is home?" Is it a world that he can no longer return to? The friends he should have treasured? This place, now that he has no other place to go to? The people here that drives him insane with their suffocating affections and questionable actions?

"I'll come back," Eren compromises.

Grisha pulls him tightly into a hug.

*

"Where's the scarf?" Porco demands as they get ready to leave.

"I put it in the closet with my other clothes," Eren informs him.

Porco scowls. "Not good enough. Go put it on."

Huh? Put it on? Does Porco realize that they're about to go off to a battle zone? If that scarf gets caught on anything, Eren is going to choke and die. Wasn't the point to not get killed? This kid makes no sense.

"I don't want to wear it on a mission!" Eren protests. "What if it gets caught on something?"

"You mean you'll have no choice but to actually think about how you're moving and where you're going? Oh, what a loss."

Eren stares at Porco for a beat before turning to Marcel. "Did you hear him? He sounds smart!"

Marcel makes a zipping motion, but it's too late. Porco lets out a yell and kicks the two of them.

"Why am I involved in this?!" Marcel exclaims. "I'm still a patient!"

"Boys, settle down," Eren's grandma scolds.

Porco points upstairs. "Scarf!"

Having no choice, Eren runs to get it.

*

"I guess Zeke isn't going to walk with us," Eren remarks, glancing around.

"He probably went to headquarter before the message arrived," Marcel reasons.

That sounds awful early. Perhaps Zeke had other things he had to do as well? Eren hopes that Zeke got some sleep, at least.

"Oh, guess everyone's gathered here."

By the gates to the interment zone, the rest of the Warrior Division (minus Zeke and few of the Warriors) seems to be waiting for them.

"Are we all walking together?" Eren asks.

Pieck grins. "We're going to be riding an airship! So we figured we can all walk together."

The air...? T-they're going to be...?

"We're going to be flying?"

*

"Airship" is a strange concept for Eren to wrap his mind around. This giant machine is going to fly? Is this yet another one of their witchcraft that they've created?

"Mechitorial... Ah, no. That's not it..."

"Mechanical," Marcel corrects.

Eren snaps his fingers. "That's the word. I kept thinking of the wrong word ever since Porco said it."

"Don't drag me into this," Porco snaps.

"So is this like electricity, too? Then it has a tail? But it wouldn't be able to go far, right?"

"Oh no, it's not like that," Marcel says. He thinks about it for a second, possibly trying to come up with an easy-to-understand explanation. "It's kind of like a giant battery. Er... l-like in cars."

Porco said something about that. What was it now? Something-something that spins?

Marcel gives Porco a look to which Porco responds to by embarrassed shrugging.

"Pfft! That's not right at all!" Pieck laughs. "Airships fly by using gas! You burn a special type of gas that fills the ship like a balloon. The gas is lighter than the air in the atmosphere, so it floats!"

... Yeah, Eren got none of that.

The vertical maneuvering gear worked by using gas to propel a person forward. Perhaps it's something like that? Wait, hold up. Doesn't that mean that this giant hunk of cart is going to be propelled through the air by the power of gas alone? Isn't that a lot of gas? The civilians often threw fits about how much money the military used up, especially because so much of it went into bottling gas for the vertical maneuvering gear that the Survey Corps used. Aren't the Marleyan people also peeved that so much gas is being used to fly people?

Maybe that's why that Marleyan vented his anger by beating Marcel, using a potential accident as an excuse.

"So in summary, fire makes this giant ship fly," Porco concludes.

Oh! When Porco summarizes like that, it makes so much more sense!

"I get it now!" Eren pats Porco's back. "Nice!"

"No, that's not... I-I mean, it is partially but-"

"Wow, fire sure is amazing. It turns on the lights and it makes the ship fly! Hey, then does a car also work thanks to fire and not this spin-spin thing?"

Marcel pats Pieck's shoulder with a sympathetic look. Then he runs back to Eren's side to bump shoulders. 

"Let's take a look around!"

* * *

"Was that really what you saw? Or did you make that up for petty reasons?" Zeke asks.

The Attack Titan stares at the ground for a second too long. "My prediction is absolute."

"That doesn't answer my question. Did you or did you not lie to Commander Magath to test your theory?"

The silence that stretches on between them is answer enough.

This bastard...

"W-what else was I supposed to do? This is the perfect chance. I'll prove to all of you. Eren can change the future."

"What good is proving that to a Marleyan going to do?" Zeke asks as calmly as he can manage.

Getting mad right now won't help anyone. But he wants to get mad. He wants to destroy something. Watch something be crushed under his might. Let him rage like a beast to get this burning sensation out of his heart. Let him scorch the world with his red hot rage. 

"It's not for the Marleyans."

Then it must be for Owl.

This is a conversation they cannot have for too long. Not on this airship, where anyone can walk in. But Zeke wants to grill this damned man for every little bit of information he can get. Damn it all. He should have talked to his mom about this last night. He should have forced communication between Owl and himself.

And now Eren will suffer the consequences of his inaction.

"If any of those kids come under fire-"

"About half of the forces currently deployed will be killed," the Attack Titan interrupts. "If you're that desperate to protect your brother, then inform him of what's going on and find a way for him to prevent this prediction from coming true."

What the hell is this guy saying? Does he even register his own words anymore? They're going to ask a seven year old to shoulder the burden of the lives of how many people?

"And if Eren can't?" Zeke asks slowly.

"Then nothing has changed. We lost half of the forces as predicted. But if he can change it-"

"If he changes it for the worst? Eren is seven years old. You want a seven year old to come up with a plan! Do you hear yourself?"

The Attack Titan dares to look at Zeke with determination as if Zeke is the one being unreasonable.

"He's a Warrior Candidate. He has been trained-"

"He lost his memory! Did you forget that you predicted his death?"

It's no good. Zeke can't keep his calm. And if he keeps raising his voice like this, it's only a matter of time before someone comes to check in on the noise.

He covers his eyes and forces himself to take a deep breath.

No matter how angry he feels and how justified in his anger he is, it doesn't change the fact that they are already here. His little brother is already on this ship. Every eyes will be on Eren to see whether or not he can save those people destined to die.

Fuck them all.

If they can't even save themselves without relying on a seven year old, then don't they deserve to die? If that's what was fated for them to begin with, why the hell do they have to get Eren involved in this?

Just die.

Quietly. Without ever bothering Eren.

Can't they even do something that simple right?

*

"We'll arrive in less than an hour. Before that, let's go over the situation," Magath says.

They're in the briefing room of the airship, both Warriors and Warrior Candidates alike. Magath has placed a map on the table for them to look at with their current situation denoted with chess pieces. They all stand so that they can see the map.

"Our ground forces are here," Magath says, motioning towards the black pawns scattered on the map. He then places a white bishop on the harbor and another on its side in the mountains. "We know for a fact that there's a group by the harbor and another unknown amount of enemies hiding in the mountains. The SOS was sent for us to deal with the forces in the mountain. We have pure titans on standby to be released, but I'd rather us hold on using them."

Because of the prediction, Zeke guesses. It's quite likely that the reason why they lose half of their forces will be due to a mishap with pure titans. Damn it. Why couldn't the Attack Titan give them better information than just how many people they lose? How do they lose them? That's the key to forming a plan. If they don't know that, then how can they even begin to guess what to do?

"How did the current situation spiral this badly out of control? All they had to do was put down some mouthy idiots, wasn't it?" the Cart asks.

Magath shakes his head. "Turns out few of the nearby villages banned together with the harbor town in an attempt to throw out Marleyan forces. This area being what it is, the higher ups looked down on them. Instead of snuffing out all the insurgents when it first started out in the harbor town, they let a few get away. And now they're facing this crisis in the mountains."

Guerrilla tactics from the mountains, huh? Added to the fact that this area isn't technologically developed at all, it makes it hard for the Marleyan forces to pass communications easily. No wonder the Warrior Division was called in. All they have to do is drop the Colossal Titan and torch the mountains. And if that's not allowed, dropping their pure titans and letting them roam the mountains for a bit will be more than enough to take care of this problem.

"What's wrong with this area?" Zeke overhears Eren quietly whisper to Marcel.

"It's hickville out there," Porco says.

"Hick...?"

"There's not much technology out there. I don't think they even have working toilets," Marcel explains.

"I heard they just put up streetlamps, though," Pieck adds.

Reiner lets out a soft groan. "Why would you say that out loud?"

Zeke's attention returns to the map as Magath returns to briefing. It seems he doesn't mind that the kids are having a quiet conversation amongst themselves. To be honest, Zeke prefers that. He would rather that his little brother doesn't go anywhere near the battlefield.

"The problem now is the Attack Titan's prediction. Half of the force deployed will be killed."

Typically in those numbers, the pure titans aren't counted as lives lost. Therefore, the prediction is most definitely talking just about the Marleyan lives. If that's the case, Zeke is tempted to say let them die. It's not like they can change the prediction. Does it really matter what they do?

Magath's eyes land on Eren.

Please don't, Zeke wishes he can say. Please leave Eren out of this. There's no need to burden a child with what he's about to say. Please let Eren stay innocent to the deaths of Marleyan strangers.

"Eren Jaeger, what's your thought on this situation?"

It's just for a second. Eren meets eyes with Zeke. Then Eren glances around the room, probably taking in that it's unusual for the commander to single him out for his opinion like this. Does Eren know why Magath asked him specifically? Does he think that it's because of his memory loss? Is he waiting for Zeke to help him?

Eren gets on his tippy-toes to take a better look at the map. The rest of them move away a bit to give him some space.

Zeke wonders if he should have talked with Eren beforehand. Except what would he have said then? What could he have said? Should he have briefed Eren on potential strategies that could be used? Should he have hidden Eren somewhere to keep him safe? What can Zeke possibly do against Marleyan might?

"Is this ship this big because we're carrying supplies for the deployed forces?" Eren asks.

What a naive question. And they're going to make this small child face this prediction alone? Zeke's heart hurts.

"Are you stupid?" Porco snorts. He motions at the water by the harbor. "There's plenty of water, and they have guns for hunting. Why would they need us to bring supplies?"

Because you can't just drink ocean water, Porco. Zeke understands what Porco is trying to say, but his reasoning is a bit off.

"So they're eating and drinking the local's supply?"

... Wait...

"Okay. So if the supply is established, the next thing to worry about is..."

But Zeke's attention is back on the map.

The harbor is right by the ocean, so Zeke didn't think too much about it. But there aren't any rivers or lakes in the mountains. So where did the other villages get their water? Were they delivered by the harbor town? Or more likely...

"Wells."

"Excuse me?" Magath asks.

"We don't know what will cause half of our deployed force to die. But if we think about it logically, it can't be because of a mishap on our end. We pull the ground forces out before we release the pure titans. When that's not possible, the Warriors protect them. So it makes no sense that half of the force will be wiped out unless it's something unrelated to the Warrior Division."

Magath moves first. He runs out to yell out instructions to send supplies and medical teams to their destination.

"What uh... just happened...?" Reiner asks quietly.

"Poisoned supplies and water? But wouldn't the locals also be affected by something like that?"

As always, Marcel catches on first.

"That was a risk that they must have decided to take," Eren says, tilting his head to the side.

Unsurprisingly, Eren picks it up soon afterwards.

"... It changed..."

Zeke slowly turns towards the Attack Titan, whose frightened eyes are locked on Eren.

"The future," he whispers. "It changed. N-not because you change it yourself. You... You changed it by influencing the key players."

When phrased like that, it dawns on Zeke exactly how terrifying Eren's existence has become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "C'mon Reiner, please? You promised you'd help!" 
> 
> And Reiner is regretting that very much, thanks for asking. "W-we're deployed, Eren. We shouldn't be fooling around!"
> 
> This is all Pieck's fault. She just had to mention that this place installed streetlamps. Why couldn't she have kept her mouth shut? It wasn't like knowing about the streetlamp would've helped with their briefings anyway! This is the problem with "smart" people. They shove their nose in random places and just have to demonstrate how smarter they are than everyone else by reciting facts no one cares about. 
> 
> "Eren, forget it. We'll do it. The three of us," Porco says. He smirks at Reiner in a clear provocation. 
> 
> Marcel rolls his eyes at them, but it's clear that he wants to get going. Reiner bets that Marcel would be only be too happy to cut Reiner out of their little adventure. 
> 
> Well, today's your lucky day, isn't it, Marcel? Reiner doesn't want to go along. He's just going to stay here with the rest of the Division. He doesn't want anything to do with-
> 
> "But I was looking forward to doing it with you."
> 
> Move aside, Marcel, Porco. Reiner is going to climb that stupid streetlamp like a champion.
> 
> *
> 
> "H-huh? C-climb a streetlamp? What f-for?" the Female Titan asks in shock when she spots them trying to leave.
> 
> "I want to check out the lightbulb in them!" Eren explains.
> 
> "The...? Erm... Y-you know that they don't have electricity here, right? Their streetlamps don't have lightbulbs."
> 
> Reiner can't quite tell if this is relief that he feels or apprehension for the future.


	11. and now for the much needed time skip for the part that everyone has been waiting for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calvi carelessly tosses the documents on the table. "It's your division, Magath. If this is what you think is for the best, then it is."
> 
> There's a "but" at the end of that sentence. Theo waits patiently for the idiot to finish his thought. 
> 
> "Alright, now let's talk about the budget for the navy."
> 
> ... Or not.
> 
> Guess this really wasn't that big of a deal as Theo thought it would be. Although he should feel relieved, he can't help but to feel anxious. There's something more to this. There has to be. Eldians are involved, after all. 
> 
> But the meeting goes without hitch. There's no mention of Theo's pick for the next inheritors of the titans. There's nothing that can be seen as someone being nosy about the Warrior Division.
> 
> "Oh, before I forget," Calvi says at the end of the meeting, "the Paradis Mission. The Attack Titan has been saying for years that if we ever attempt such a thing, the Rumbling will happen. But if what you're saying is correct, then we'll be able to prevent that with these new Warriors, is that correct?"
> 
> Here it is. The words that Theo has been waiting for.
> 
> "That's right. With these kids as the next Warriors, there's no doubt that we'll be able to claim the Founding Titan."
> 
> Ask, Calvi. Take the bait. Ask Theo for more details. Ask for the reports. Ask for the data, the science. Then ask Theo how much more money the Warrior Division will need to prepare for this. Ask.
> 
> But their oh-so reliable General shrugs. "Good enough for me."
> 
> The leader of the most powerful military in the world is this piece of lazy shit. If it wasn't for Theo and the Warrior Division, Marley won't be standing at the top.
> 
> ... If only their budget reflected that.

"You know, it's been bothering me for a bit," Pieck says, catching their attention.

"What has?" Colt asks slowly.

Pieck motions at where Eren is poking Marcel to look at his book instead of toying with a frayed end on Eren's red scarf. Porco doesn't recall seeing that book before. Did Zeke get Eren a new one? Jeesh, way to spoil his little brother... Why can't Marcel take a note of that?

"They've always been like that," Bertolt reminds her.

Pieck clicks her tongue and motions for them to listen.

"Marce, what about this word?"

"Hm? It's... Hey, what's with this complicated word? ... Eren, please tell me you're not reading a book about airships? We can't steal those."

Good ol' Eren, making Marcel panic with just a simple point at a word. Then again, Porco isn't exactly looking forward to the thought of Eren begging them to help him steal an airship. Eren won't do that, right? He learned his lesson after they broke into the adult section of the bookstore, only to find that the books there aren't technology books that Eren had been searching for and they got a hell of a lecture from all of their parents?

"That's what they've always talked about," Annie tells Pieck.

Pieck lets out a dramatic sigh. "You guys are so clueless... Nickname! Since when did Eren ever call Marcel or any of us by a nickname?"

It's not until she says that it finally sinks in. That's right. Since when did Eren ever call any of them by a nickname? Without a proper plan or any other thought, Porco finds himself marching straight up to his friend and his brother to demand answers.

"Nickname?" Eren dares to ask, cocking his head to the side.

"How come you call Marcel 'Marce,' but everyone else is their actual name?"

Eren blinks. "I do?"

Porco doesn't know if he feels more exasperated that, of course, Eren didn't even realize it himself. Or if he feels annoyed that Pieck noticed it first. He's going to go with the first one because getting mad at Pieck can only spell a certain doom.

"Huh. I didn't even notice," Eren admits with a laugh. "But if I'm calling Marcel 'Marce,' it's because I'm copying you, Porco."

So all of this is actually Porco's fault?!

"If you want to be called a nickname, Porco, why don't you ask Eren to call you-"

Porco immediately stops his brother by stomping hard on his foot. Marcel yelps and glares at him, but that's just what he deserves for daring to bring up _that_ embarrassing name.

But it seems that Porco was too late in stopping his brother. Because the other Warrior Candidates gather around, looking much too curious.

"What's this? Porco, you have a cute nickname you never shared with us?" Pieck asks, grinning like a cat.

This is horrible. Terrible. He cannot believe his stupid brother would sell him out like this. And now that Pieck is involved, Porco knows it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out. Then is it better for him to keep some form of dignity by telling everyone himself? Or should he try to keep it a secret for as long as he can?

"Yeah, Porco! Share it with us!" Eren says. He grins widely, completely unaware of the evil plot Pieck must be putting together. 

Porco hates his brother for putting him in this situation.

"I-it's not-"

"Settle down," Magath snaps as he walks into the classroom. "The titan inheritance have been decided. For the next two weeks, those of you who will be inheriting a titan will be spending your time with your respective titan holder. The inheritance ceremony will come after that."

What a whiplash to go from their silly conversation about nicknames to something as serious as titan inheritance. But Porco supposes it's his fault for being lulled into a sense of comfort while in Marleyan territory. He really should have known better.

There are nine Warrior Candidates with seven possible titans for them to inherit. Clearly, the two lagging at the bottom will end up not getting anything. If it was before Eren lost his memory, Porco wouldn't have hesitated to have said that Reiner and Colt would be left out. This isn't to say that Eren can't keep up with them since he lost his memory, by the way. Eren is smart and quick on his feet. Memory or not, he can still keep up with both Porco and Marcel (Not to mention he can consistently win in a spar against Annie, even if he finds every reason to dodge a spar with her). The reason why Porco is hesitating has more to do with-

"The Jaw Titan, huh?" Eren mumbles.

"I don't know, the Attack Titan looked like he really wanted you," Reiner says lightly.

That.

The petty fight between the two Warriors.

"In the end, it's not exactly our choice," Marcel reminds the two of them.

Magath clears his throat, demanding their attention back. The Warrior Candidates straighten.

"Marcel, you'll get the Jaw. Your quick-thinking and good judgement will complement that titan's swiftness."

... Huh? W-wait a minute...

Porco can't see Marcel's expression from where he stands. But he sees Marcel's hands clenched in fists. Is that a good sign? A bad one? He can't tell.

"Pieck, the Cart. Your sharp observation will be best for a titan that we can use for long periods of time."

Just now, Pieck stilled for a second before she smiled and thanked the commander. No one's shocked that Pieck received a titan. But Porco can't tell if the Cart Titan is the one that she aimed for.

"Bertolt, the Colossal."

... Is there any reasoning behind that one? Or did they just pick Bertolt's name out of hat?

Bertolt is beaming, so Porco supposes that must be what Bertolt wanted. Lucky bastard. Porco wanted that titan.

"Porco, the Armored."

Yeah, that makes sen... Huh?! The Armored? Really? The remaining titans are Female, Attack, and Beast. Obviously, the Female will go to Annie. And since the Attack Titan threw a fit about Eren inheriting that, that one's for Eren. That leaves the Beast for Zeke, because of course, Zeke will get a titan. But doesn't it make more sense to give a useful titan to Zeke instead? Or perhaps this is their way of letting Zeke stay as a tactician and not a frontline fighter?

"I know Zeke isn't here right now, but he'll inherit the Beast. Annie, the Female."

Check. Check.

Porco doesn't really get the reasoning why behind these choices, but he supposes the Marleyans looked at the bigger picture or whatever.

"As for the Attack Titan..."

Magath actually doesn't pause dramatically. There's no need to, after all. It's obvious what he'll say, and their commander isn't one for theatrics. Magath says his piece without any fanfares, but Porco's brain adds the pause in, quite possibly because he's having trouble registering Magath's words.

"Reiner, you'll inherit it."

*

"Colt, Eren, I expect the two of you to continue to show results. While the others are meeting with the Warriors to prepare for their inheritance for the next two weeks, you two will be running drills with me."

Magath pauses to look at them, silently asking if they have any questions. And where should Porco start? What can he ask without being seen as an ungrateful traitor who deserves to have his family sent off to heaven? How can he word his question so that his family stays safe? Should he just leave it to Marcel? But Marcel looks rigid like it's taking everything he has to not explode. Porco isn't sure if he can trust his brother to form coherent words right now.

"S-sir?" Reiner begins hesitantly. "M-may I ask for the reasoning why I am to inherit the Attack instead of Eren?"

Porco tenses and waits for the doubtless annoyance Magath would display for daring to ask for a reason. But it seems Magath might be in a good mood today.

"Are you not good friends with Eren?"

The question catches them all off-guard.

"I-I am, sir," Reiner says, even though Porco is a thousand percent sure that Eren is better friends with Porco and Marcel.

"You two will work together to find the best ways to get around any bad predictions."

But that still doesn't explain why Reiner. Isn't it better for Eren to be able to see and change the future as he sees fit? And if that's not good enough, then why pick someone as stupid as Reiner? The conclusion the Attack Titan arrived on was that it's not as simple as Eren changing the future. Rather, it's that Eren can influence the current events for a different future. If that's how that works, then why wouldn't the Attack Titan go to someone smart like Zeke or even Marcel who'll be able to come up with great plans to get around bad predictions?

Porco does not understand.

From the confused and dissatisfied look on Reiner's face, he doesn't seem to get it either.

It's annoying, but Porco doubts they'll be able to get any answers. But maybe Marcel has some good guesses he'll share with them.

* * *

"Eren?" Marcel calls, tapping his shoulder for attention on their way back towards the interment zone from headquarter.

"Hm? Something wrong?" Eren asks.

Eren smiles curiously like there's nothing wrong. He doesn't seem bothered at all by Magath's announcement. But that can't be. Eren has been looking forward to getting the Jaw Titan for such a long time. Or maybe that's not the case anymore since Eren lost his memory? But to be singled out as someone who won't be getting a titan is humiliating, isn't it? Especially when he lost out to both Reiner and Porco?

"Just uh... curious about what you're thinking."

Eren doesn't stop walking. He just reaches for his bag and pulls out that book from before. Before he opens his mouth, Marcel forces Eren to put the book back. They are not going to steal an airship, damn it. Please consider Marcel's position before coming up with these crazy ideas.

"You asked!" Eren grumbles, pouting.

Since dancing around the topic isn't helping, Marcel looks to Porco for help. Because surely Porco would be able to ask in a way that Eren would understand, right?

"Aren't you bothered that Reiner and Marcel stole your titans?" Porco asks.

Thank you for betraying Marcel, Porco. Next time, Marcel will make sure to ask Reiner, who is nervously fretting, instead.

"Eh? But they weren't my titans to begin with." Eren shrugs like it really doesn't bother him. "And if they were grading by our abilities, it makes sense that I'll get left behind. I still can't hit the target with a gun like you guys can."

Marcel feels like that can't be the only reason why Eren didn't get a titan. In fact, with how much both the Attack Titan and the Jaw Titan fought over Eren, Marcel can't imagine that Magath won't be getting a lot of whines about this decision. The question then becomes why.

Why did Magath choose the Warrior Candidates that he did?

"I don't think it was your lack of sharpshooting ability. I... think it had more to do with your ability to change the future."

"But then wouldn't I have inherited the Attack Titan?" Eren points out.

"And if you change the future yourself without reporting it? What if you didn't mean to change something, but you did anyways? It's a fail-safe, Eren."

"T-then why was it me?" Reiner demands. "Why would they give me the Attack Titan?"

To be honest, Marcel thought that that one was the most obvious from the answer Magath gave. There's no way that Magath isn't aware how much closer Porco and Marcel are to Eren compared to Reiner. And that by itself is the problem, isn't it? Magath fears that if either of the Galliard had the Attack Titan, then they would use it for the benefit of the three of them instead of for the sake of Marley. In order to make sure that the three of them wouldn't even be tempted to try something like that, Magath gave the Attack to Reiner.

Someone close enough to Eren to be able to ask for help in influencing the future, but not close enough that Reiner would abandon his duty to Marley. In a sense, Magath is questioning the Galliard family's loyalty. Marcel better watch their steps more sharply than usual.

"Isn't it because you're honest, Reiner?"

How does Eren manage to say something so sweet while sneakily trying to motion at the book in his bag? Marcel grabs Eren's hand to stop him from even implying that they do something as stupid as steal an airship. Eren pouts at him, but keeps his attention otherwise on Reiner.

"Because unlike Marcel who'll lie and manipulate the future to his liking-"

"H-huh?! I-I wouldn't do that!" Marcel protests. The minute the words are out of his mouth, though, he knows he's not fooling anyone, especially not himself. The look on Porco's face tells him that not even Porco fell for it.

"- and unlike Porco, who's too stupid to realize what he just saw-"

"The hell's that your opinion of me?!" Porco exclaims in disbelief. Marcel can't help but to smirk at his brother. Hah. Take that.

"- you would report exactly what you saw. Because you're someone 'with an overly honest personality.'"

... That's... a compliment, right? Reiner is beaming like it is. But Marcel feels just the slightest bit of unease. The smile on Eren's face feels just a bit off, too. Did Reiner piss Eren off recently? Marcel can't think of something.

"I-I see. It's because I'm honest," Reiner mumbles happily to himself, blushing.

Marcel figures he shouldn't burst that bubble over a feeling. It's not his business that Reiner wasn't sharp enough to notice. Rather, Marcel should ask Eren about this at a later time.

"Then what? I got the Armored because I'm tough and Marcel got the Jaw because he's... hard-headed?"

Hey, Porco, think carefully about what you just said.

Eren laughs. "Porco, aren't you the one with the hard head? Maybe that should be your nickname! Mr. Hardhead."

"What's with that? I don't like that at all!" Porco protests.

"Then tell me your actual nickname."

Porco crosses his arms in front of himself. "Hell no."

Marcel shouldn't say this. He really shouldn't do this. But he can't stop himself.

"Pock is a plenty cute nickname, Porco. I don't get why you don't like it so much," he says innocently.

The result is exactly what Marcel knew would happen. Eren lets out a delighted giggle before he touches shoulders with Marcel. Porco's expression turns murderous as he glares Marcel down.

Hehe. This is petty as hell, but Marcel is going to take his victory wherever he can get it!

*

To be honest, Marcel thought that the Jaw Titan would look disappointed. That she would be bitter that it isn't Eren standing before her. But she shows no such emotion.

"I doubt you'll need two weeks for the things I'll tell you," she admits. "So if you want to know other things like how best to woo someone, we can talk of that instead."

Even if she says that, she's always been single for as long as Marcel has known her. Isn't that the same as saying that she'll be giving him advice that won't work? Marcel will take his chances elsewhere, thank you.

"Speaking of, you have anyone you like?"

Like Marcel has any time for romance when Eren and Porco keep him busy. "I'm afraid not."

"Late bloomer, huh? I suppose that's my good fortune. Before you fall in love and that person consumes your entire being, won't you do me a small favor?"

Marcel nods. "As you wish."

He's pretty sure he knows what she'll ask for anyways. She's always had a one-track mind. And the fact that she brought up romance can only mean-

"Can you watch over Eren to make sure he doesn't break Carla's heart?"

It must be about her beloved Carla.

Marcel gets the feeling that the next two weeks are going to be obnoxious just because of this person.

"Please don't misunderstand. I will watch over Eren because he's my friend. Not because of your request," Marcel tells her with as sweet a smile as he can muster.

He thought she'd be annoyed. That she'd demand his promise anyways. But she doesn't. She smiles in a manner that makes Marcel suspect that that's not supposed to be a smile. It feels too much like the information that he's gathered on her turned out to be all wrong.

It's frustrating. Is this the limit of his own ability? Is that why he failed to save Eren from the Attack Titan's prediction?

"I hope that feeling of your last."

Is that a threat?

No, the look on her face makes it look more like a prayer or a wish. Marcel doesn't like how uneasy he feels.

"Well, let's turn our focus back to work," the Jaw Titan says. She doesn't motion nor look at the Marleyan soldiers watching them, but she really doesn't have to.

Marcel may have messed up reading her, but he's not an idiot that would forget about the dangers of being in Marley territory.

"Do you know why you were chosen to be the next Jaw Titan?"

Is this a test on how well Marcel can recite Magath's word? Or is she trying to test his ability to reason? No, he needs to take a step back and consider their location. Right now, this is still Marley territory. The way she behaved a second ago is key. Without showing any sign that she noticed the Marleyans in the room, she presented herself as a love-stricken fool who will focus on work when it matters.

Ah.

He gets it.

"My quick-thinking and good judgement will allow me to use the Jaw Titan's swiftness to its maximum potential," he recites.

Her lips curve into a smirk. "Good. You get it."

These next two weeks are going to be obnoxious, alright. And not just because of the Jaw Titan's rambling about Eren's mom.

* * *

Reiner gulps at the cold look of disgust on the Attack Titan's face. Look, it's not like he wanted to inherit the Attack, okay? But if the reason why he'll get this titan is because of his friendship with Eren, then he refuses to back down.

"You are the worst possible candidate for the Attack Titan."

Don't let such cold words hurt you, he reminds himself. He was chosen. The Attack Titan has no choice but to accept him.

The Attack Titan lets out a frustrated sigh. "How do you think these predictions work?"

"You see the future. It just hits you, right?"

Can this man please stop looking at Reiner like he's scum? Reiner is trying his best. And it's not like the Attack Titan or anyone else ever really talk about how these prediction powers work.

"A prediction is set in stone once you see it. That means that for things that you have yet to see, you can force it by being 'present.' In other words, something like taking even one step forward can set the future. What can you conclude from this?"

C-conclude? This is a test? Reiner thought he was going to be lectured about how to use the power. What do you mean a test?

"I-I can... I can always see a prediction by physically moving to that location?" Reiner tries.

The Attack Titan doesn't look satisfied, but he nods. "Therefore?"

T-therefore? There's more? He moves to that location to make sure that he can see the prediction involved in that area. That causes whatever prediction he sees to be set in stone. A-and therefore...? H-he must always be with the Warrior Division in order to see the outcomes of battles, right? He must be present on the battlefield. What "therefore?" What more is there?

"I-I... should always have Eren nearby?"

Reiner feels the sting on his forehead before it registers that the Attack Titan flicked him.

"I don't understand what you want from me," Reiner tells him honestly.

The Attack Titan sighs. "Do you plan on living the rest of your life without a brain? There are at least two things you should be able to conclude from that. One, you cannot see a prediction for something you or a future Attack Titan holder will not be present for. If you are in Liberio, you cannot predict what will happen on the battlefield without moving towards the battlefield yourself. Likewise, if you are on the battlefield, you cannot predict what will happen in Liberio unless you can get back in time. Two, if there is something that you do not wish for it to be set in stone, you must not look for a prediction."

"But Eren would be able to change it," Reiner argues.

"Yes, he has the ability to change it. But that doesn't mean that he will nor does it mean that he should. Do you at least understand that?"

Reiner feels his cheeks burn. There's no need to mock him, is there? He's trying. No one gets everything right on their first attempt. As long as Reiner keeps at it, he'll be able to get there. But to mock him and discourage him in his first go is in bad taste. No wonder no one likes the Attack Titan.

"Alright. Let's say that you saw a prediction of one of the commanding officers of Marley getting knifed. How do you report that?"

Isn't the Attack Titan afraid of saying something like that in front of the Marleyan soldiers? Even if it's because the Attack Titan doesn't have any family, it's still something that could be seen as a betrayal, isn't it? Or is it because the Attack Titan has about two weeks left to live that he can be so bold?

"I-I report everything that I see," Reiner answers.

"Like what?"

What even is this question? Obviously Reiner will report everything that he sees. What more is there to add to that?

"T-the location of where the commanding officer was, who the officer was, and who stabbed him," Reiner manages out.

There's that look of disgust again. "Then what? With those details you reported, what are you going to say is the best next course of action?"

"W-well, wouldn't the next course of action be to grab Eren and try to prevent the officer from getting stabbed?"

The Attack Titan stills. "You've got to be..."

Although Reiner probably should have seen that hit come, he can't dodge it in time. The Attack Titan's expression twists in livid rage. 

"How stupid can you be? You haven't even determined _when_ this will take place! Are you going to stalk the officer with Eren until you witness it? What are you going to do when the officer's guards or underlings open fire on the two of you for this behavior? You might be able to get away as a shifter, but Eren will die if he is shot. You cannot see Eren's future, so you have to be doubly cautious when he is involved."

If Reiner says that that didn't occur to him, would he be hit again? Probably, right? It'll be better to diffuse the situation by asking another question.

"T-then how should I go about figuring out 'when' this is?" he tries.

"What did I tell you about predictions?" the Attack Titan asks sourly.

Not that much. But there has to be a hint in what he said, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't be so bitter? Actually, Reiner thinks the Attack Titan is just a bitter person who is taking his anger out on Reiner for not being Eren, but thinking like that isn't going to help anyone right now.

"T-that you can force a prediction by..."

Oh! The location!

In a situation like that, Reiner would only be able to see that prediction if an opportunity presented itself for him to meet a commanding officer. The Warrior Division isn't exactly well-liked in the military, despite all the victories they win. That means the prediction can only come true in a very limited amount of setting and time. But if Reiner were to recklessly charge in and start following the officer around, he would be losing that 'when.'

"Looks like you figured it out," the Attack Titan says when Reiner reports. "This is why I said Zeke would be a better candidate..."

Zeke, huh?

Reiner could see that. Zeke is calm and collected, and he's great with coming up with plans to bring down the enemy. He wouldn't struggle like Reiner does. To be honest, Reiner is still confused as to why Zeke is inheriting the Beast Titan. Doesn't it make more sense to give Zeke a useful titan instead of something like the Beast that can't do anything?

"Erm... D-did you see? About who was going to get which titan? B-before, I mean. Before the announcement."

The Attack Titan stills for a second. "Yeah. It doesn't do much good now, though."

"C-can you tell me anyways? I'm... just curious."

What judging look. Is it wrong to be curious?

"The Attack Titan should have gone to Zeke. The Armored to Marcel. Beast for Porco. I assume Jaw was for Eren since I couldn't see it. The rest are the same."

So it should have been Reiner and Colt who didn't get to inherit titans. Either way, Colt is the odd one out. It's probably because of his family. But at that point, why bother having him in the Warrior Division? 

"But seriously, who cares about what could have been?" the Attack Titan asks as if this didn't begin with his complaint. "What matters is that you don't have a brain that can put these predictions to good use."

"B-but that's something I can train. That's something I can work on," Reiner says.

The Attack Titan presses his lips into a thin line. "We'll see."

*

Even if it's because of his friendship with Eren that he was given this titan, Reiner is starting to think that it's not worth it.

"How the hell can you be this stupid?" the Attack Titan groans, rubbing his temples.

Reiner will just like to remind this man that the Attack Titan is the one who has been hitting Reiner the entire time. So if anyone's head hurts, it's Reiner's.

"Alright. Let's just make this the last lesson of the day."

Already? They've barely been at this for an hour. But Reiner is being dismissed? Isn't it vital that Reiner learn everything he can in the next two weeks? If the Attack Titan cuts it short like this, can he really learn?

"What is the one prediction you must never try to see?"

The one...? Reiner tilts his head. The Attack Titan mentioned that before, too. "If there's a prediction you don't want to see." But that makes no sense to Reiner. Why wouldn't he want to see as many predictions as he can? Isn't it better to have a solid foundation of future events that he can draw from?

Reiner should have expected to get hit, especially since that's all the Attack Titan has been doing. The fact that he didn't shows very clearly that he isn't fit to inherit the Attack Titan.

"The Paradis Island," the Attack Titan grits out.

"H-huh? Why wouldn't I look there? Don't I have to keep an eye out for any trouble they'll send?"

Ugh. That's two hits for one lesson.

"The Attack Titan's prediction is?"

Useless? Boring? Clever? What the hell does he want to hear? Reiner can't figure it out.

With a frustrated sigh, the Attack Titan says, "Absolute. If you see that the Paradis Island has unleashed their Colossal-sized titans, then that's it. There's no way to prevent that."

"B-but Eren might be able to-"

The slap makes Reiner's ears ring. His cheek is sore, but the humiliation is what makes his eyes sting.

"What the hell do you think Eren by himself is going to do against those giant titans? He isn't even a shifter. If he gets stepped on, that's it. He's dead. You lost the one person that might have been able to prevent this prediction from ever happening."

Then isn't that on Magath for not giving Eren a titan? Why the hell is Reiner getting hit for? He doesn't understand.

"You need to stop relying on Eren for changing every single prediction that comes your way."

"But I can't change the future by myself," Reiner protests.

"No one can change the future," the Attack Titan stresses.

"But Eren can. That's why you were so set on him. So why can't I rely on Eren? I don't understand."

Reiner sees the twitch in the Attack Titan's fingers. He goes to shield his head, except no hit actually comes. Slowly, he lowers his guard to see the infinitely sad expression on the Attack Titan's face.

"Because you can't see Eren in your predictions," the Attack Titan says tiredly. "You'll never know if he's not there because that's how things are or because he died."

The words "Eren won't die" dies on his throat as quickly as they threaten to jump out of Reiner's mouth. He saw it for himself. Eren's determined face as he pushed Reiner out of the line of fire. The bullets that riddled Eren's body. Death has once almost claimed Eren's life before.

Who's to say it won't succeed the next time?

"Right now, Eren is the only person to have ever been able to change an Attack Titan's prediction. That makes him the number one priority to keep safe and protected at all times. Do you understand that?"

Reiner nods, but the Attack Titan doesn't look like he believes him.

"Even if a prediction is bad, if there's any chance of Eren potentially getting hurt, you have to let that prediction go. Eren's survival is the most important thing."

The most important thing... It seems so odd to hear Reiner's honest wish echoed from the Attack Titan's mouth. But Reiner must have taken too long to respond, because the Attack Titan lets out a long sigh.

"Go home, Reiner. I'm done teaching you for today."

It's a relief to hear those words, but it also makes Reiner worried. Is he really going to be ready to inherit the Attack Titan in two weeks?

"Think carefully about why you shouldn't peer into Paradis," the Attack Titan warns him. "Let's try this again tomorrow."

* * *

"How can you be this bad at shooting a rifle?" Theo sighs, shaking his head. "You weren't this bad before."

Eren barely glances back towards Theo. He keeps his attention majority on the target before him as he misses comically wide.

The original goal was to make both Colt and Eren run through the typical exercises and drills and let them go home early for lunch. But Eren's shooting today has been so atrocious that Theo could not in good conscious let this child leave as he is. Colt, by the way, is running laps because his shooting was fine.

"Is this your way of throwing a fit? That upset about not inheriting a titan?"

That, of course, isn't it. The Candidates get petty with one another, but they would never dare show attitude to any Marleyan. But sometimes they show results only after Theo uses harsher words. Eldians are just like that. They don't react well to anything but aggression. Something in their biology.

"Not really. If it's a matter of talent, I'm lagging pretty far behind with my sharpshooting," Eren says lightly with a shrug.

It's so light-hearted that Theo can't help but to feel suspicious. Did the others not explain to Eren exactly what the importance of being a Warrior is?

"Commander, there's something I've been wondering," Eren says seriously.

Does Theo have to explain it to him? Damn these Eldians. If they can't do something as simple as teaching their young about the Warrior Division, then how the hell can they be trusted to teach history correctly? Does Eren even know about the sins his ancestors committed? Or does Theo have to take the time out of his schedule for that?

"Ask," Theo says.

Eren doesn't hesitate, even for a second. "May I be permitted to take a rifle with me to practice?"

... Theo honestly doesn't know where to begin with this one.

"I suppose I'll also have to take a target as well. But I would like the chance to practice some more."

"You want me to trust an Eldian unsupervised with a rifle?"

From the deflated sigh, at least it looks like Eren didn't expect Magath to agree.

"Then may I stay a bit longer to practice?"

"Do you think bullets grow on trees?"

Theo knew that Eren was spoiled. But he didn't think he'd receive the confirmation in a form of such a ridiculous request.

Still, it's not like he doesn't appreciate that Eren seems so gung-ho about training. Before his memory loss, it always felt like he was keeping his hands covered, showing just enough to not fall to the bottom of the group. It always felt like he was calculating something and trying to use those around him for whatever goal he had.

Compared to that, the earnest way this Eren is striving to get better is much easier to handle.

"I'll allow you to shoot for just one more hour," Theo decides. "Run twenty laps afterwards and go home."

"Yes sir!"

*

In Theo's defense, he didn't think he would get this absorbed in taking care of the paperwork. In fact, he didn't think that his soldiers would be so stupid as to ignore the Eldian in the courtyard, shooting a rifle. Didn't they hear the sound of gunshots? Weren't they worried when the loud gunshots didn't stop? Or did they, like Theo, get so absorbed in whatever they were doing to register the gunshots as anything more than background noise? And who the hell gave Eren more bullets to keep shooting for this long, anyways?

"How long have you been at this?" Theo demands when he sees Eren still at the makeshift shooting range.

The sun has gone down a while back. And Theo isn't sure what he's more worried over: the headache of dealing with the fact that this idiot still hasn't gone home or the headache of the paperwork for all the bullets Eren must have used up. Damn it. Why didn't anyone stop this stupid child?

Is he going to have to deal with a passive aggressive Zeke tomorrow? Is the Jaw Titan going to throw a fit? What if Calvi uses this as an excuse to cut their funding? The more Theo thinks about what this is going to lead to, the more he has the urge to strangle this dumbass.

"Hm? Oh, where did the sun go? I thought it was a darker than usual," Eren dares to say.

Theo could have sworn that Eren wasn't this airheaded before his memory loss.

"Go home."

Eren looks at Theo as if he doesn't understand. "Shouldn't I clean-"

"Go home."

*

The paperwork for the Paradis Mission stares back at him mockingly on his desk. The idea that they'll be able to kick this mission off within the year has gone out the window along with their budget. With a heavy sigh, Theo puts the paperwork back in his drawer.

"We still have 13 more years," he tries to comfort himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Eren, what the hell are you doing?"
> 
> He startles at suddenly being addressed. Eren glances away from the streetlamp he was trying to climb at the dumbfounded look on Magath's face. This is going to end up bad, no matter how Eren dices it, huh? Then he should say something that everyone expects of him by now and make no mention of that Marleyan who has been watching Eren's every move since he left the headquarter. 
> 
> "I wanted to examine the lightbulb in the streetlamp, sir," he says, getting off the streetlamp and saluting. 
> 
> Magath nods without a single expression change on his face. Then he slowly looks up a the sky. Curious, Eren looks up, too. 
> 
> The stars are so faint here. The night sky he saw in his old world was much more vibrant. There's something rather ironic, he thinks. The faded stars of this world seem remnant of the backwards societal values of this world. What good is technological advancement if you lose the sight of what really matters?
> 
> "I ordered you to go home," Magath says slowly, head still facing the sky.
> 
> "Yes sir. I'm on my way. This is just a short detour."
> 
> Magath finally looks at Eren. "No. No detours. We're going to the interment zone now."
> 
> Looks like Eren won't be able to argue against it any further. So much for putting his plan into motion. That Marleyan is just going to have to wait. Eren salutes in acknowledgement and turns to leave. Except wait. Magath just now said "we," didn't he...?
> 
> "A-are you walking me, sir?"
> 
> "If I don't, you'll take another detour, won't you?" 
> 
> Eren tries to smile innocently, but that glares on Magath's face clearly says that he's not amused.
> 
> Damn. Did he overdo it with his airhead act today? But if he didn't do that, he won't be able to plant the needed seeds to be his alibi for his plan. 
> 
> "Why are you so attached to these streetlamps, anyways? Didn't you throw a fit during the last mission over them, too?" Magath asks.
> 
> Does the commander not like the silence? Eren didn't think he'd be the first to start speaking. Or maybe Magath is too tired to care? Heh. How human of him.
> 
> "I think they're neat," Eren says. "No matter how dark, they always light the way!"
> 
> "And the true reason?"
> 
> Tch. Damn this man for being so sharp. Isn't he tired? Why can't he just let Eren be? But it's not like Eren can tell him the truth that this is just part of the set up for his plan. So he'll have to get creative. 
> 
> "Sir, were you aware that lightbulbs hold little fires inside of them? Electricity is something that we can't see that goes straight into the lightbulbs and starts a fire!"
> 
> Magath lets out a slow long sigh. "Alright. We'll start there tomorrow."
> 
> Eren wonders if maybe he made a grave mistake.


	12. a friend once gifted me apricot jam and i can't even recall what it tastes like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "He has to know."
> 
> Kruger glances up at the Attack Titan who keeps biting his knuckles like a child. 
> 
> "That's the only explanation. Why else would he suddenly change his mind about Zeke inheriting the Attack?"
> 
> How the hell is Kruger supposed to know? This can very easily be a warning Magath is sending the Eldian Restorationists or it could just be something Magath decided on a whim. Kruger isn't part of this division. He doesn't know the ins and outs enough to be a good judge. But if he were in Magath's shoes... 
> 
> "Probably because Zeke is too smart," Kruger says. "Even if Magath doesn't suspect anything, someone that smart shouldn't receive something as dangerous as foresight. At the very least, that would be my justification why I would choose the most useless titan to give to someone I won't be able to control the most."
> 
> The Attack Titan sighs heavily. "Did we show our hands too early? Damn it. At the very least, I had hoped to get Marcel. But Reiner? That kid's always off in the clouds."
> 
> "Your job is to make him usable before you pass."
> 
> "That's impossible."
> 
> Well, if someone kept their mouth shut about Eren, this wouldn't have spiraled this far out of their control. They may have found some useful information in how Eren can change a prediction, but the very same information is also in Magath's hands. Eren doesn't have to be directly involved in order for a prediction to change. But he must at least come in contact with key players of the prediction. 
> 
> That means just by interacting with the members of the Warrior Division daily, Eren too easily changed the course of destiny the Eldian Restorationists were banking on.
> 
> "How are things going on your end? Any sign you'll be able to pull Eren to our side?" the Attack Titan asks.
> 
> And therein lies their next problem.
> 
> "That child is quite fond of streetlamps, isn't he?" Kruger asks.
> 
> "Yup. Something about wanting to see the lightbulb in it."
> 
> Kruger holds up the lightbulb he "borrowed" from the warehouse. "I'll take care of it."

"That's odd. Where did it go?"

Eren glances up from his breakfast towards his grandma who keeps rummaging through the drawers.

"Is something missing?" Grisha asks her as he stands up to help.

She nods absentmindedly. "I'm sure I just put it in the wrong place. But it's a little worrisome. The biggest knife we have is missing."

Faye gets out of her chair to help look. "The knife? Isn't that kind of a big deal, mom?"

"Well, it couldn't have gone far. It doesn't exactly have legs. "

The toast this morning is really delicious! Eren especially love this fruity jam that apparently Faye brought back the other day from the Hoover Bakery. What was it now? April's Cod? No, that doesn't quite sound right. But it's a fruit that he's never heard of before.

"Good morning! Oh, are we looking for something?" Eren's grandpa asks as he walks into the room.

"One of our knives disappeared, dad," Grisha informs him.

"Disappeared?" Carla comes in to the kitchen with the patients.

"Uh-oh. That's not a good sign. We'll help," the patients offer.

The toast is really crunchy and yummy. Very delicious. Eren can't focus on anything but how delicious-

Carla turns towards him with a look he knows only too well. Depending on how he answers this, he's going to end up in a lot of trouble, isn't he?

"Eren, do you know anything about this missing knife?"

Her voice is sweet. He's not in trouble just yet. If he quickly returns the knife, he thinks he might be able to get away with a light scolding!

Quietly, he gets out of his chair and goes to pick up the knife from the hiding spot. He puts it on the table, making sure to keep his head down low to seem like he's guilty.

"Wha...? E-Eren, you didn't...? Why would you...?"

Don't look up. Don't look up. Don't look up.

His grandpa kneels down in front of him with a strained smile.

"Eren, why did you hide the knife?"

It's not like he can just tell them that he wants to kill a Marleyan officer with it, now can he? Damn it. He didn't think he'd get caught this quickly. He thought he'd at least be able to carry out his plans today and put the knife back without too big of a fuss. Why did his mom have to be so sharp?

"I-I just..." Eren hesitates, trying hard to think of what might make sense. "It was supposed to be a prank. I'm sorry."

He peeks up at the expressions the adults are making. For the most part, they seem to have bought it, because that's not anger on their faces. It's worry and concern.

"A knife is a very dangerous object. You have to be careful when you handle it."

Is that really a lecture someone should give a kid who regularly trains with a rifle?

"I'm sorry," Eren repeats with as much sincerity as he can muster.

It looks like they bought it for now. But this is a pain. They're going to be super careful about knives now. If he can't use a knife to kill that man, what should he use instead? Magath already shot down the rifle idea (Granted, he knew that'd be the result, but it didn't hurt to ask). What can he grab that no one would think twice about but is also deadly enough for him to use?

This world sucks.

*

That's a bruise on Reiner's cheek.

Eren pokes it, just to be sure.

"Ow! Don't touch it!"

"Sorry! Sorry! I just wanted to make sure that it was real," Eren explains.

Reiner pouts miserably at the ground. "Of course, it's real!"

"Do you want us to take a look at it?" Grisha asks Reiner.

Surprisingly, Reiner shakes his head. He takes Eren's hand and bid the Jaegers goodbye for the day. When they're a good ways away from the clinic, Reiner quietly tells Eren what happened.

"The Attack Titan's mean. He kept calling me stupid."

But to hit a child for being stupid is backwards, isn't it? It's not going to make the child any smarter. If that worked, then Connie would be able to defeat Armin in studies with how often Shadis headbutted the guy.

"I know I'm not as smart as everyone else. But that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I'm still a Warrior Candidate. I just don't like how he labels people and doesn't even try."

It's such an odd thought. The Reiner from Eren's world was smart and great at a lot of things. He didn't pull things off as effortlessly as Mikasa did. And because you saw how hard he worked to achieve his ranking at the top, you found yourself looking up to him in admiration.

Seeing this Reiner struggle makes him feel more human.

"Reiner, if he bothers you, punch him back."

"That's going to get me in trouble." Reiner sighs. "How are you doing? You came home really late last night, right? I wanted to wait for you but had to go for dinner."

Yeah, Carla mentioned that Reiner stopped by. But Eren was a little busy with trying to get everything set up that it slipped his mind. Did Reiner want comfort after the Attack Titan beat him?

"Is inheriting the Attack Titan really worth it, Reiner?"

He's not surprised to see Reiner hesitate. He's not surprised to see Reiner hang his head for a second.

But he is surprised by Reiner turning to him with pleading eyes.

"You probably forgot this. B-but... t-the truth is... M-my dad? He's a Marleyan. The only way I'll ever be able to meet him is if I become a Warrior. And... If I can get the Attack Titan, maybe I can figure out who my dad is. T-to... talk to him."

Reiner's... dad? That's right. It's just Reiner and his mom, isn't it? Eren doesn't recall anyone mentioning Reiner's dad before. But he just assumed it was one of those "sent to heaven" cases that everyone keeps talking about. But if it's actually that Reiner's dad is a Marleyan...

"How would you be able to tell which one is your dad?" Eren asks, curious.

"It'll be one of those, you know? I know that it's my dad because I see it in a prediction. That type of thing."

But there's no guarantee that Reiner would ever see that. Does he plan on taking his time wandering through Marleyan streets until something happens? Even if he's half-Marleyan, he still has to wear that band that marks him an Eldian. Not to mention being an "Honorary" Marleyan won't be enough of a protection to allow them to walk through the streets freely like that.

"That sounds like a pain," Eren admits.

Reiner deflates. Urgh. If he looks like such a kicked puppy like that, Eren will of course feel guilty.

"But two pair of eyes looking will be better, right?"

Eren doesn't think he said anything outlandish. It's not even like he said they'll go through the family registry or something that can actually find Reiner's dad. In fact, Eren's words are probably the most cruel thing he can say right now. Dangle hope without any sincerity or intention to follow through.

That's not the kind of person Eren wants to be.

"Once everything settles down, let's see if we can find your dad together. I'm sure he'll be really shocked to see you."

At least if Reiner has someone with him, he won't be tempted to do something super crazy, right? Ah. Why did Eren just think of Bertolt's look of pure terror when Reiner blurted out that the two of them were titan shifters in front of Eren? Perhaps Eren should get Marcel involved in this? That guy is surprisingly really level-headed. Still, this sounds like a secret that Reiner doesn't often talk about. Eren shouldn't divulge family secrets to other people like that. 

"Thank you," Reiner tells him, squeezing their joined hands.

Besides, if Eren can't figure this much out on his own without relying on another child, doesn't that make him too pathetic?

"I feel better about facing the Attack Titan today."

Eren wishes there was more that he can say or do to help this guy. Sending him to face someone who will hit him again seems irresponsible a thing to do. But as Eldians and as children, they have no power to stand for themselves. That sting of powerlessness is something that Eren has felt again and again, no matter where he goes. Perhaps that's just a universal constant in all the different worlds, however many there may be. 

The only thing they can do is quietly cheer for each other.

"Reiner, if we can both get back early, let's bother Bertolt for a snack."

"I'd like that."

*

Eren flinches as a loud stack of books are placed in front of him.

"E-erm... D-don't you want to... c-check out the results from yesterday?"

Magath's expression is filled with overwhelming disgust. Eren doesn't think it's aimed at him in particular, though. At least, he doesn't think what he said would cause this kind of an expression. Did something happen since last night? He can't think of anything that could have happened. 

"This is a book about electricity," Magath says, putting it in Eren's hands. "The rest of the books here are about technology, science, and world history. Start reading."

Then Magath turns to Colt, who straightens.

"Do your daily circuit. Finish it off with twenty laps. And once you're done, drag this idiot home with you."

"Y-yes sir!" Colt says. Then it must have sunk in exactly what was asked of him. He cocks his head to the side, trying to puzzle it out.

"I'm going to be in my office. Don't cause trouble."

With that, Magath leaves the two of them alone.

*

"If we decide to leave now, I don't think he'll care," Eren admits.

Colt shakes his head. He looks a bit pale, now that Eren thinks about it. Is he okay?

"If we leave carelessly, we'll get in trouble. Here. I'll go run. You start reading."

*

This is probably a bad time to mention that Eren actually read these types of books already, right? He knows that it's not little fires that powers up lightbulbs. C'mon. Give him some credit. Like hell he'll take the explanations of seven year olds at face value. It didn't hurt, of course, to receive multiple books by the Warriors on various subjects (Eren assumes the Female Titan mentioned the streetlamp incident to all of them).

But it's been pretty handy to have a "childish" explanation for things to rely on whenever he wants to get out of tight situations. This morning, for instance. Last night with Magath, for another.

He wonders if that's not going to work on Magath anymore. That's no good. He needs Magath to buy his act of an airhead. Especially if what the Attack Titan is saying is true and that Eren can "change" the future.

Unlike his time with the Survey Corps when he was "Humanity's Last Hope," Eren doesn't agree with Marley's goals to fight. Why should he fight to be a Warrior? All he'll be doing is help Marley expand their territory by killing people already there. Honorary Marleyan title? That won't change the fact that he's an Eldian. It won't change the fact that he still has to wear an armband. As long as that armband shackles him to his identity, it won't matter what kind of fancy title Marley bestows.

But it's not like he can back out of the Warrior Division, either. Firstly, there's no way the tops will allow that, especially if they take the Attack Titan's predictions that seriously. Secondly, he doesn't want his family to die (Sorry. It's "sent to heaven," isn't it? Ugh. It still sounds awful, no matter how Eren turns it in his head).

That leaves just one thing to do.

Paint himself as an airheaded and useless tool. Make it more headache than it's worth to use him. While hindering the operations as such, keep his eyes open for faulty gears already in the system to get rid of. Like that Marleyan officer who beat Marcel way back when. Eren hasn't forgiven that man nor has he forgotten what happened.

He's not so stupid as to believe that he'll be able to change the current Marleyan structure and free all Eldians and what have you. But he's also not completely hopeless that he wants to sit around and mope instead. He'll be making small changes, if at all.

It'll give him a solid alibi while starting...

Something, anyways.

He didn't think that far ahead, okay?

*

"Sorry! Did you wait long?" Colt asks as he bursts into the classroom.

He's drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Eren has no doubts that he probably pushed himself harder than he normally did to leave early. Eren doesn't really get it. But he appreciates the gesture.

"Not at all! Let's go!"

*

They're a few steps away from the headquarter when something outside of Eren's plan happens.

The Marleyan officer that beat Marcel earlier (in other words, the creep that was watching Eren last night) stands before the two of them.

"You're off early," he remarks.

Don't tense. If he does, it'll be clear to everyone that he remembers who this man is. He needs an alibi. And if he recognizes this man right now, that alibi is as good as gone. Besides, as a child going up against a grown adult, he's going to need the element of surprise. He learned that when facing against the slave-traders that kidnapped Mikasa.

"Can we help you, officer?" Eren asks, keeping his voice light as possible.

Colt takes a step closer towards Eren as if to hide behind him. Is he scared of dealing with an officer? That's fine. Eren doesn't plan on doing anything here. He'll make sure that the two of them leave here safely.

"I'm here to make sure you learned your lesson."

Oooh, scary. And if he determines that Eren hasn't learned enough, is he going to beat Colt, too? Such a nasty person.

"Lesson, sir? You mean at the Warrior Headquarter?" Eren asks innocently.

The Marleyan officer tenses. Did he think so highly of himself that he thought his mere presence will make Eren quake in fear? Too bad for him. Eren's dealt with snakes much scarier. Compared to being betrayed by those he believed to be trusted comrades, this is nothing. 

"Looks like I have no choice." The Marleyan officer reaches into his pocket and pulls out...

Eh? What is that?

"Colt, do you know what that is?" Eren makes a show of whispering, knowing full well that the officer can hear it. 

"Sorry. No clue," comes the expected answer.

The Marleyan officer seems frustrated despite not a single emotion changing on his face.

"This is a lightbulb for a streetlamp. Didn't you want one?"

So this guy wasn't just watching Eren last night for shits and giggles. It was to study him, huh? How unpleasant. When an adult takes this much interest in a child, the story will doubtlessly end with a tragedy for that child.

"If it's nothing, then we'll be taking our leave," Eren says. He takes Colt's hand to calm him down. "Let's go, Colt."

Ah. The Marleyan's composer finally broke.

"W-w-wait a minute! I'm not done talking."

That was anticlimactic. Eren didn't think it'd be this easy to get the upperhand. But now that the Marleyan officer has shown his hand that he wants Eren's attention, Eren doesn't have to stay here if he doesn't want to. He'll properly come to kill this man later. But right now, in the middle of daylight where anyone can walk by is not the smartest location.

"Sir, we were told to return after we finished," Eren explains with a sheepish smile. "If you are done, we need to get going."

It seems the officer has nothing to say to that. He doesn't stop them again to leave.

Eren leads Colt away for now.

Next time, he promises. He'll kill this man.

*

"T-thanks."

Eren glances at Colt, who refuses to look up from the ground. They're now in the safety of the interment zone, so there's no need to feel this discouraged. Eren wonders if Colt had bad encounters with Marleyans before.

"No problem! Don't worry about it. He was just being an asshole."

Colt squeezes his hand. "You probably don't remember this. And I doubt anyone mentioned it to you. But... m-my family's not really well-liked by the Marleyans."

Is today some kind of "open up to Eren" day? But then again, it's not like Eren minds particularly. Colt is one of the friends of this world's Eren. It wouldn't be right of Eren to leave him out.

"Did something happen?" Eren asks.

Colt hesitates. This must be hard to talk about. Eren wonders how he should go about calming Colt down. Let's see. What can he say that won't come off as condescending? Oh. Maybe-

"M-my uncle was... a traitor," Colt manages out before Eren can say anything else. "Apparently, he was part of this radical group called Eldian Restorationists. He was careless, though, and got caught. Our family was under scrutiny for a long while. To prove our loyalty so we won't all be sent to heaven, I volunteered to be a Warrior Candidate."

Even if Colt sugarcoats it by calling it "volunteering," it doesn't change the fact that he was sent to become a soldier. To protect his family from being killed, he had no choice but to take on this role. It's not "volunteering" at all.

"S-so any time I see a Public Security Authorities officer, it frightens me. I keep freezing up."

Oh, is that why he hid behind Eren? Not just because it's a Marleyan before them. But because of that uniform. 

It's not that man specifically, but Eren can't help but to feel that this world would be a better place without him. 

"Colt." Eren pulls Colt close so that their shoulders touch. "You don't have to be scared anymore."

"Thanks," Colt says with a small smile.

Words are cheap.

Eren will make sure that Colt has one less thing to fear.

*

He drops Colt off first. Then he makes his way back to the gate.

"I forgot my book! If Commander Magath finds out that I didn't finish reading it, he's going to kill me! Please let me go pick it up!" Eren begs the officers at the gate.

"You were too excited for getting back early, weren't you?" one of the officers sniggers.

The other one shakes his head with a dramatic sigh. "If Zeke or Reiner didn't hold your hand, you'd get lost! If you aren't confident about the way back, just wait for one of them to finish and walk back with them!"

See? Most of the Marleyans are pleasant enough to joke around like this. They're not bad people.

It's just that one officer.

"I will! See you soon!"

*

It seems that this man must have expected something like this. The Marleyan officer is waiting by the gate with an unimpressed expression on his face.

"I thought you'd see it my way," he says, probably trying to recover whatever semblance of pride he has left.

"I'm here to pick up my book that I forgot," Eren explains to him.

There's just a small pause of silence as the Marleyan looks down at Eren, evaluating him. It reminds him of when he was first studied and dissected by those of the Military Police after he plugged up the wall in Trost. Ah, but he supposes there's no fear this time around, though. The Military Police members stank of it then. Heh. It's funny what he remembers at random time.

"Alright. I'll make it fast," the Marleyan says.

He motions for Eren to follow and takes the lead.

It's not the choice of weapon Eren would have normally have gone for. But as it is, this is the only thing no one will blink twice at a seven year old having.

With his screwdriver safely tucked away, Eren boldly walks after the officer.

*

They're heading towards an abandoned street. Eren won't be shocked if no one else comes around here. It's perfect place for Eren to kill this man, but the problem becomes that the officer is the one who is leading them here. Then clearly, this man has the same intention as Eren.

The one who moves the fastest will be the one left standing at the end.

"By now, you should have more or less settled into what living in Liberio as an Eldian is like," the officer begins.

Therefore, it is okay to kill a child? Is that the justification that he came up with?

"And I'm sure if I ask you to tell me your thoughts, you'll grit your teeth and lie. So I'll ask this instead. How would you like to be a Marleyan?"

... The hell's up with that question? What even is the logic behind it? Is he one of those romantics who likes the idea of reincarnation? What? Is this a "I'll kill you, so come back to life as a Marleyan?" Ugh. What haughtiness.

"Of course, you can take all the time you need-"

"I refuse," Eren says.

Like that's even an option to consider.

"'Be a Marleyan?' Isn't that too irresponsible to say? There's a fundamental difference in biology between an 'Eldian' and a 'Marleyan' that shows up in a blood test. Even if I were to go around claiming to be a Marleyan and throw away this armband, one test will be more than enough to prove me wrong. Nice try. But that kind of nonsense isn't convincing for a kid whose family runs a clinic."

Oh. Did this man not think that Eren would know this much? How insulting.

"Those tests are easy to fake. With my resources, I won't break a sweat trying to hide a small child like you. But I'm sure you already knew that, as a kid whose family runs a clinic."

Bastard.

But that's not what Eren should be focusing on. What he needs to determine is whether or not this man is serious. What does this he get from offering something like that to Eren? The minute Eren accepts, he twists it into a reason to send Eren and his family to heaven? And why even offer this to Eren anyways? Is it because Eren is a Warrior Candidate? Then has this been offered to the others as well? Or is this man specifically targeting Eren?

"From your distrusting eyes, it's clear that you don't believe me. I suppose there's not much I can do about that. But I would appreciate it if you didn't take out whatever weapon you brought and stab me without listening to me all the way first."

Tch. So he knew.

Eren holds his hands up in the air to feign his innocence. "I did let you speak. You chose to say something ridiculous instead of trying to earn my trust."

"Guilty." The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette. He lights it before resuming to speak. "Then I'll hold off any more ridiculous talk until the end. The reason why I asked you to follow me is two-fold. First is to show you the reality of how our current structure of society runs. Second is to win you over to my side."

... Disgusting.

How many wide-eyed and innocent children did this man lure into fake sense of security with such words? And what? He thinks such "kind" and "pretty" words will bring Eren's guard down long enough for him to kill?

Hah.

"I thought you were going to hold off on any more ridiculous talk," Eren points out.

"Oh, but it isn't ridiculous. Because you've already experienced it for yourself, haven't you? The harsh divide between a Marleyan and an Eldian?"

The only Marleyan who was that "harsh" was this man. Does he not realize that? Don't get Eren wrong. There are, of course, minor differences that sticks out. Like the dirt road found only near the interment zone. Guards posted at the gates that divide the two sides of Liberio. The cautious way all Eldians speak in fear of being sent to heaven. But the only one who beat a child to remind everyone of this difference was this officer.

"And because of this 'divide,' you propose that I 'become' a Marleyan?"

"That's correct."

"So how many children did you offer something like that to?"

The officer seems caught off-guard by that question. Hah. Didn't think Eren would see through it, did he? Well, that's just what he gets for underestimating a fifteen year old in a seven year old's body!

"Offer? Why would I ever offer something like this to anyone else? Making an Eldian disappear is easy enough. But to have them reappear as a Marleyan takes considerable skill, you know. It's only because I have the resources that it's easy for me."

Is this guy bragging?

"Then do enlighten me. Why am I so 'special' to you that you just had to offer something so ridiculous to?"

"Obviously because you can change the Attack Titan's prediction."

... Eh? It's about that? Seriously? But if that's truly the reason, then this makes less of a sense. As long as Eren stays as a "Warrior Candidate," the Marley has total control over him by threatening his family. Making an offer such as "become a Marleyan" means to forsake that power. What is Eren missing?

Wait.

He's going about this the wrong way.

"And why should I believe your words? You have done absolutely nothing to convince me of your sincerity. Why should I believe anything you say as anything but lies?"

What a condescending smirk.

"That's true. I haven't established that, haven't I? Then what about this? I'll allow you to hurt me without any repercussions."

The officer kneels down and opens his arms wide. It's mocking. This guy believes without a doubt that Eren won't be able to hit him. Either that, or he thinks that whatever Eren hits, it won't leave an impact.

That's fine.

Being underestimated is going to give him an edge, no matter how frustrating this is.

Eren pulls out his weapon of choice.

"... Seriously? A screwdriver?" the officer asks.

"Mom found out about the kitchen knife. So this is all I have."

Stop giving Eren that disbelieving look! It can't be helped, alright? He's seven! And it's not like Magath will let him have a rifle...

Taking a calming breath in, Eren thrusts his weapon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Was there even a need for us to have a two-week training period?" Marcel asks the Jaw Titan in the courtyard of the headquarter. 
> 
> "Nah. I suspect that was what the Attack Titan needed to train Reiner."
> 
> Yeah, that's what Marcel figured, too. But if that's the case, then why the hell are the two of them weeding?
> 
> "Obviously, because we have the time," comes the flippant response.
> 
> "If we have the time, why can't I be dismissed?" Marcel argues. 
> 
> Colt and Eren went home early today. So why can't Marcel go join them? He's not learning anything from the Jaw Titan as it is. 
> 
> "Then who'll take care of these weeds?"
> 
> This person is so damned...
> 
> "Why the hell does a Warrior have to take care of weeding, anyways? We are soldiers!"
> 
> "That's no good, Marcel. If all you have is your Warrior title and good looks, you're never going to get anyone to like you."
> 
> Marcel begs to differ. "I'm sure someone who doesn't even have a lover would know all about that."
> 
> The Jaw Titan raises a brow. "Oh, you're talking back now. Are you that jealous that you didn't get to go home early?"
> 
> Damn her. 
> 
> "If you're that unsatisfied, let's turn this into a lesson. What is the most important organ to a titan?"
> 
> As discreetly as he can, Marcel glances around. No Marleyan soldiers in sight. Ah. So that was her goal. Bring everyone's guards down by doing something as mundane as weeding. Since the Marleyans won't be interested in that, they won't be around when she starts the lecture.
> 
> "The spine. That's where the shifters are hidden," Marcel answers. 
> 
> She sighs. "Stuuuupid. It's the heart. How does a shifter transform into a titan? With will. With determination. If you don't have a clear goal in your mind, you can't even dream of turning."
> 
> "It's not the heart that determines that. The heart is just an organ that pumps blood. The organ that attaches value to object is the brain."
> 
> "Not a single romantic bone in your body... It's a shame that you'll be inheriting the Jaw. You'll never be able to achieve its full potential."
> 
> Marcel frowns. "What are you talking about?"
> 
> "Exactly what it sounds like. You are the worst type of match for the Jaw."
> 
> "Because I'm not 'romantic?'" 
> 
> The smirk on her face serves only to make him more infuriated. "No. Because you're inflexible."


	13. when you had a clear goal in mind when starting to write but Eren likes freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Porco... let's stop here for today," the Armored Titan says tiredly.
> 
> Stop? Already? But Marcel is still outside with the Jaw Titan. Why should Porco stop if Marcel is still working? He already knows that he's not as smart as Marcel nor as sturdy as he would like to be, especially for someone who is set to inherit the Armored. Isn't this two week's time period for getting stronger? Why would Porco stop here?
> 
> "I'm not done," Porco informs him.
> 
> The Armored Titan looks troubled. "Y-you know... this whole 'two weeks' thing is for the Attack Titan and Reiner. You don't have to take it so seriously. W-wouldn't you prefer to go home instead? Eren and Colt went home! Y-yeah! Why don't you go home and play with them instead? You can wrestle with them instead of me!"
> 
> "Because these two weeks are all I'll have before you die. I need to learn everything I can."
> 
> The heavy sigh lets Porco know that the Armored Titan finds it a pain. 
> 
> Porco heard it before in passing. The Warrior Division wasn't as prestigious of a place as it is now. Before the Young Warriors Program was enacted 12 or so years ago, the Warriors were lowlifes and riffraffs who had nothing left in their lives but to throw it away for Marley's cause. It was a position to be pitied and scorned.
> 
> The Armored Titan in front of Porco is from the time before the Young Warriors Program. The "last" generation, if you will. Perhaps that's where the disjoint comes from. Unlike Porco, whose pride and future rides on this position, the current Armored Titan gains absolutely nothing from training Porco.
> 
> "There's nothing I have to teach you. Just transform when you're given the order to. Don't be stupid. That's all there is to being a Warrior. Jeesh, why'd I get the try-hard?"
> 
> No matter what Porco says, the Armored isn't going to budge, is he? 
> 
> Frustrated, Porco calls it a day.

A screwdriver is neither sharp like a knife nor as impactful as a bullet. But you don't need either when you're going for something as vulnerable as the eyes. It's simple titan 101. Well, technically, it's a solid strategy whether you're fighting against a titan or a human or a beast.

Go for the eyes.

Even if the prey closes their eyes, that thin layer of skin won't protect them from the sheer force of an oncoming screwdriver. Besides, dull objects are much more painful when drawing blood. And if Eren's lucky, he might even get an extra time to shove the screwdriver high up through the eyes to get to the brain. Of course, with his seven year old arms, he doubts he'd be able to get that kind of power behind his thrusts.

But it's good to have goals.

The officer doesn't blink or flinch. He stares Eren down without any sign of being cowed. Eren hates how uncertain that simple action makes him.

"Not going to do it? I meant it when I said there won't be repercussions," the officer says.

But Eren can't move the screwdriver any more forward than where it is currently, centimetres away from the officer's left eye.

There are currently three different scenarios that can unfold before him (Well, technically there are more than three. But these three are the most likely to happen).

Scenario 1 - It's a lie. The man said that to lower Eren's guard. Once Eren actually injures him, he'll suddenly change his tune. Eren's entire family will be in danger, but that will be the least of his worries. The problem is, why would someone risk injury to themselves in order to prove... what exactly? It's much more trouble than any possible reward, assuming this officer isn't a masochist.

Scenario 2 - There's someone on the officer's side watching. This person will wait to see Eren attack or some sort of a signal from the officer to... To kill Eren? To report Eren? Again, this seems like too much trouble than it's worth. Eren can't imagine it'll be profitable by much, especially not for the amount of cost.

Scenario 3 - The officer is telling the truth. Eren will not face any repercussions if he were to attack right now. But the problem happens after Eren injures him. Eren hurts the man and then? He's not so stupid as to think that the officer will be able to just walk off an injury to the eye, especially if Eren aims for the brain. But wouldn't doing so end any information-exchange that might follow?

Once upon a time in a world that isn't this, he lost his temper at the traitors, causing him to lose precious information that could have helped the rest of the Survey Corps.

He isn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"Can you answer me something?" At the officer's nod, Eren pushes on. "How involved were you in Colt's uncle's arrest?"

There's a small pause, probably the officer trying to remember who this "Colt" is. Then he must have remembered something because he lets out a soft, "Oh."

"When you say 'Colt,' you mean the Grice child, correct? His uncle was working with us. When it became clear that our operation might get discovered by the Marleys, Grice volunteered to shoulder the fall to save the rest of the group."

Operation...? Discovered by Marleys? What's this guy talking about?

The officer's lips quirk into a smirk. "You didn't think it odd? Why would a Marleyan have resources to fake blood tests?"

Eren figured that was just a bluff the officer said to trick innocent Eldians. But it looks like the officer is on a roll. He doesn't pause to let Eren register those words any longer.

"On the Marleyan side, I am the Public Security Authorities officer, Eren Kruger. On the Eldian side, I am known as Owl, the leader of the Eldian Restorationists."

*

"I'm sure you're shocked-"

Eren flips the screwdriver and smacks Kruger's shoulder with the handle. He doubts it hurts that much, but it clearly surprised the officer enough to be quiet.

"So as an Eldian hiding to be a Marleyan, you decided that the only way to hide your tracks was to be harsh to other Eldians?"

For that reason, Marcel was beaten? Colt's family suffered? All so that this man can live comfortably as a Marleyan?

"Yes. Because as long as I am alive, I can keep the Eldian Restorationists going."

That's the second time he mentioned that. Eren bets that it's on purpose. How childish. Eren is tempted to ignore it and leave, but that's not going to help anyone. At the very least, Kruger's words line up with Colt's.

"Judging from the name of your group, I imagine it's for disgruntled Eldians who are tired of living in the interment zone. If you're targeting me for my 'ability' to change the future, then obviously there's a prediction that you guys want to change or prevent Marley from changing. How am I doing?"

Kruger dares to look impressed. "I didn't think you'd be able to piece it together so quickly. That's it exactly."

Eren hates how easily Kruger agreed with that. There's something more here that isn't being said.

"And in order to win me over, you decided that the best thing to do would be to beat up my friend without an apology and then offer to let me stab you without consequences?"

"That time couldn't be helped. A Marleyan saving two Eldian kids from a potential car accident? No one would believe any excuse I came up with unless my saving you just happened to be the byproduct of a 'lesson' I taught you. That's why I'm saying it's okay if you want to attack me with that screwdriver of yours. Oh, maybe that's too grotesque for a Warrior Candidate that lost his memories? Shall I rip out an eyeball for you instead? That way, you can claim your hands are still clean of blood."

For someone who is supposed to convince Eren to be on his side, Kruger sure likes to mock him. Eren bets this guy doesn't have a lot of friends.

"I would much prefer if you talked to me instead of staring at me in disgust," Kruger says.

Eren hesitates for a second before deciding that it'll be better to change the topic. "What's the prediction that's got you and Marley so worried?"

"It's an age-old tale. I imagine your family has told you about Eldia's history?"

Ah, that fictitious tale that sounded like something the Wall Fanatics would think of? Eren heard it, sure. But to say that he committed it to memory would be pushing it. What was it now? Something-something a witch with the same unlucky name as a traitor, something-something Marleyan hero, something-something King Fritz that was a fake in Eren's world actually did something in this one. He thinks that about summarizes all of it.

"One of the earliest prediction an Attack Titan made was that one day, Paradis will unleash an army of Colossal-sized titans to wipe out the rest of the world. A 'Rumbling,' if you will. Various Attack Titans since tried to see 'when' and came to the conclusion that it'll happen within my lifetime. This, by the way, is a secret that we of the Eldian Restorationists are keeping from Marley."

The only way they would manage to keep something like that hidden from Marley is if all the Attack Titan holders that came before were on the Eldian Restorationists' side. If Eren recalls correctly, before the current Young Warrior Program was set in place, the Warriors were people who volunteered to inherit titans for Marley's sake. That must have been the perfect set up to have for someone from the Eldian Restorationists to inherit the Attack every time. The current system set up where children can inherit must have been quite the headache for them.

"Reiner wasn't supposed to get the Attack Titan, was he?" Eren asks.

And the current Attack Titan violently lashed out his anger on Reiner for that petty reason? The bruise on Reiner's face was probably not the only wound he received. It was just the one that Eren saw. This Reiner isn't a traitor. He's just a small kid who just wants to do his best so that he might be able to meet his dad.

"Yes. It should have been Zeke."

Yeah, that makes more sense. It'll have to be...

Huh?

W-w-wait. Zeke?

Marcel said that the Young Warrior Program came to be when Zeke was younger than they are. So either Kruger here knew it was coming and recruited someone with children that will fit in that age group or Zeke was born in order to fulfill the duty of becoming the Attack Titan.

For his purposes, how many people did Kruger screw over? For this "grand" goal of his, how many children suffered? For the sake of one group, how many people were sacrificed?

"Seeing you guys worked that hard to hide that prediction from the Marley, I'm going to assume that you want this 'Rumbling' to happen. So your goal in offering to turn me into a Marleyan is to ensure that Marley cannot change it. But wouldn't something like the 'Rumbling' destroy the world?"

"Yes. That's what we prepared for. Once the world has been cleansed from all the filth, we will rebuild it back to its pristine state as it should be."

With Eldians at the top, right? And the rest of the world in interment zones? "Restorationists," huh?

"The reason you've told me all of this is either because you are confident that you can get me on your side or you are going to kill me," Eren points out. "Which one are you leaning towards?"

There's that mocking smirk again. Damn this man.

"Since you're Zeke's little, I'd rather let you live. I meant it when I said I'll hand over an eyeball to appease you. That seems a fair enough prize to pay for what I'm going to be asking of you."

"Ehhh? And if I agree to help you and then betray you?" Eren asks.

"You won't."

Eren hates that certainty.

"Because you already know what happens when you oppose a Marleyan."

Hah. So for threats, he becomes a Marleyan? But when the world has been 'cleansed,' he'll be an Eldian? Best of both worlds without ever sinking into despair of either. What a "responsible" and "cool" leader.

"Besides, you like your brother too much for that. Colt only lost his uncle. I wonder what Zeke will lose if you turn him in."

Bastard.

From the beginning, Eren didn't have a choice, did he? Hah. Look at him, naively believing that he ever had a choice to begin with. In this world, there isn't a luxury called an 'option' for Eldians. You would think he would have learned that by now.

"I'll let you think it over," Kruger says. He stands up to his full height, reminding Eren of just how small he is compared to this man. He snubs out his cigarette despite not having smoked it that much.

"No need. I have no intention of becoming a Marleyan."

Kruger doesn't look surprised. But he does take the time to pull out the streetlight lamp from his pocket to hold it over Eren's head.

This damned childish...

"Then I'll just return this lightbulb," Kruger says lightly.

Bastard then puts it back in his pocket. Eren wonders if it'll be bad of him to hope that Kruger trips and the lightbulb breaks in there.

"Feel free to talk to Zeke about all of this if you want an extra person to vouch for me."

Then the officer leaves.

Eren waits a few minutes by himself before allowing himself to leave as well.

* * *

The Armored Titan is an idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

Porco can't believe someone like that is a Warrior. Didn't Marley vet out who can join the Warrior Division? It makes no sense to give someone like the current Armored a power as devastating as titan shifting.

Seething under his breath, he stomps away from the headquarter and towards the interment zone. Maybe he should go over to Eren's place and demand a spar... Not because the Armored suggested it, mind. But because he just feels like-

"... Eren?"

It's been a while since he's seen Eren look that dazed. Well, maybe dazed isn't the correct word. Deep in thought, maybe? So much that he didn't notice Porco until Porco called for him.

"H-hey!" Eren says. He pauses as if he can't quite recall what to say next.

"Didn't you go home with Colt? What are you doing on this side of Liberio?"

Eren doesn't look panicked enough for Porco to think that something happened to Colt. But the way Eren was spacing out earlier isn't normal either. What happened?

"O-oh! R-right! I-I left a book... b-back in the h-headquarter..."

Why is he stuttering so much? Why is he hesitating? Just what the hell happened for him to look this spooked?

Porco pats Eren's shoulder. "Hey, you-"

It must have been terrifying, whatever it was that happened.

Eren's arms wrap almost desperately around Porco. He buries his face against Porco's shoulder. No sign of tears. Just a soft shudder of breath that leaves Eren's body trembling against Porco's.

Porco wants to shove Eren off. It's embarrassing to be clutched at like this, especially in the middle of a Marleyan street. But he doesn't think that's the right thing to do. Eren doesn't feel like he's here to mock Porco for hugging him back, at least not from the way his body keeps shaking. And he really doesn't want to hurt someone because he feels embarrassed.

The best thing to do is to drag Eren away from the sneering looks the Marleyans aim at them while walking by. The last thing they need is for a Public Security Authorities officer to come after them.

With his mind made, Porco wraps his arms around Eren to discreetly drag the two of them more towards that empty alleyway. But the minute his arms hold Eren securely, he feels Eren slowly relax. No, no, no. If this guy thinks that Porco is going to be dragging a dead weight-

"Thanks, Porco," comes the soft whisper.

His plan flies out the window, and it takes everything Porco has to not shove Eren off to punch him. He feels his cheeks heat up. Damn it. Damn it. Who the hell gets this stupidly embarrassing in the middle of the streets?

Next time they spar, Eren is not going to get away this easy.

*

Eren holds Porco's hand in a surprisingly tight hold as if terrified of losing Porco. If it didn't hurt so much, Porco might have even felt a bit embarrassed that they're holding hands like children. 

This guy wasn't like this after coming back from the dead. So whatever it was that spooked him, it had to have been scarier than dying. Scarier than death... Porco can't quite imagine it.

"Why are you back?"

Commander Magath doesn't show any expression on his face as he glares the two of them down. It doesn't seem like he's angry, though. Just... baffled, maybe? Confused? Porco didn't even knew he could read his commander.

Eren stares blankly back at Magath as if he doesn't recall. Porco doesn't think it's on purpose, but it's better to not have their Marleyan commander lose his temper at them.

"He accidentally left a book back here, sir," Porco answers for Eren.

Magath takes a slow breath in and then releases it. He nods. "Alright. Fine. Grab it and go straight home. Got it?"

"Y-yes sir."

What's got Magath so worried?

But this is exactly what they wanted, so Porco decides to ignore it for now. He leads Eren to the classroom, figuring the book will be there. And there's a book, alright. In fact, there's a whole stack of them, all on various different topics. Eren isn't planning on taking all of them home, right? Wouldn't they get in trouble if Eren forgets to return them?

He relaxes when Eren picks up just one.

"History of Marley? Shouldn't you know that by heart by now?" Porco asks.

Eren startles and turns to Porco in shock. They're holding hands. Why the hell is this guy so shocked for? But because Eren flinched, Porco flinched in shock, too. Damn it. Eren's just determined to embarrass Porco today, isn't he?

"How long have you been here?" Eren dares to ask.

Porco debates if he wants to punch him or remind him that they're holding hands. It seems he doesn't have to do either because Eren's eyes naturally land on their hands.

"Oh," Eren says, tilting his head in confusion. "When did this happen?"

Is... Eren okay? This isn't like him to be so out of it. It sounds so lost that Porco doesn't think that this is a prank.

Porco puts his hand on Eren's forehead. It doesn't seem like Eren has a fever. Or maybe he does? Porco's actually not too sure how to tell. It's typically his mom that does this for him, but he's never really figured it out. All temperature feels the same to him.

"Let's ask your dad to look at you," he decides.

"I-I'm fine. No need for-"

Porco shakes his head. "We'll let a doctor decide."

It just goes to show how out of it Eren must be if his lips twitch into an exasperated smile.

"You're such a worrywart, Pock!"

Scratch that. Eren's just a brat.

"I told you not to call me that!"

*

Marcel looks like he's busy with the Jaw Titan in the courtyard, so Porco makes sure to direct Eren away to not disturb his brother. It's not fair, though. Marcel gets the training Porco actually wanted. Must be nice to be inheriting from someone they all know.

"Do you want to talk to Marcel?" Eren asks him.

"H-huh? N-no! Why would you ask that?"

"You keep staring at him." Eren pauses for a second before giggling. "You sure rely a lot on your big brother, don't you?"

Porco yanks one end of Eren's scarf, knowing full well that it's too long for it to choke Eren or anything. What it does do, however-

"Ah! Don't stretch it out! It's already too long and hard to move in!"

Heh. Take that!

Eren pouts at him. "Don't look so satisfied."

It looks like Eren's feeling much better than whatever that was before. Porco wants to ask, but he doesn't want to be overheard by Marleyans. He needs to find a safer location... Does the clinic count as safe? It always has patients, though. And you never know which one of those patients might end up reporting them.

"Hey Eren, want to come over?" Porco asks.

The safest location in the world, after all, is Porco's room that he shares with Marcel. It's impenetrable and secure. He would know. It's his room.

Eren holds up his book in answer. "I got some reading to do."

"Do that afterwards. My assignment is to wrestle you."

Okay, fine. That was more of a suggestion than an "assignment." But Eren doesn't know that nor does he need to find out. Besides, this is Porco's way of looking out for his friend. So Eren should forgive him for this white lie.

"What kind of an assignment is that?" Eren complains. But he doesn't seem like he's disagreeing with it.

"If you want, I'll read with you afterwards," Porco offers.

Not because Marcel and Eren sometimes read together and Porco wants to try it, mind you. He's just offering because he's a good friend.

That's all.

* * *

"The Witch Ymir," Porco reads from the history book with a pout on his face, "made a deal with the devil and passed on the heinous power of titans to her descendants."

Eren leans heavily against Porco's shoulder to look at the picture of this "Ymir." From this drawing, it's impossible to tell if this Ymir has freckles like the traitor from Eren's world. But Eren figures this must be her. He did recall that the Ymir from his world told Bertolt that she wandered the world as a mindless titan before she ate one of his comrades. Doesn't it stand to reason that the Ymir in this world is also super old?

But that's just like Ymir to make a deal with a devil. Eren bets that the devil was a beautiful woman. Maybe that devil looked like Historia. Hah. Wouldn't that be fitting?

"Get off," Porco grumbles.

"Shut up and read. This is your punishment for losing three of our five spars."

Porco grumbles more complaints but re-positions them on his bed so that Eren can't lean on him as easily anymore.

"The descendants of Ymir, called Eldians, began to rape and pillage. They spread their filthy blood throughout the world and tainted it. When the world seemed to crumble under the cruelty of these giant monsters, the great hero Helos... Aw c'mon! Why the hell do we have to read these things? Don't you know all of this by now?"

"I'm trying to study," Eren protests.

Porco clicks his tongue. "But everyone knows the story! Helos beat back the 'monstrous' titans with the Tybur's Warhammer. Then King Fritz set up a 'Paradis' on an island for all the Eldians who made it in time. And everyone else outside of it will suffer forever for the sins our ancestors committed. The end."

"But that's not the the end!" Eren takes the book and begins to flip through the pages. "Here! Right here. Before King Fritz closed everything down on that island, he threatened the world that he'd unleash an army of Colossal-sized titans if they were ever disturbed. The 'Rumbling!'"

"So what?"

Eren opens his mouth and then shuts it immediately. That was dangerous. He almost blurted out what happened with Kruger to Porco. What's he doing, getting caught up in a child's pace? He forces himself to take a deep breath.

"Everyone knows that there's nothing but pure titans on that island anymore," Porco says dismissively with a wave of his hand.

It occurs to Eren belatedly that "there's nothing on that island anyways" has never crossed his thought. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Come on, Eren! It's only obvious. Marley has only been sending pure titans over for centuries. If the threat of this Rumbling was real, then King Fritz or his descendants or whatever would have done so already. The fact that they haven't is proof that there's nothing but the pure titans that Marley sent on that island anymore."

"What do you mean sending pure titans over..."

There's a small pause as if Porco realized something. "Did we not tell you? 'Sent to heaven' is code for being turned into a pure titan and released on that island. Well, recently, we've been saving some of them to use on the battlefield. So I guess the code is now for 'to be sent to the battlefield.'"

Eren feels a chill.

It wasn't death? When people said 'sent to heaven," they actually meant...? How many times did the people around him use that phrase? How many times did Eren dismiss it as disturbing but nothing too worrisome? The Ymir of his world said that it felt like a long nightmare to wander the world. Then are those people that were forcibly turned into pure titans wandering that island, stuck in that nightmare?

Porco gently taps his knuckle against Eren's forehead. "I don't know what you're thinking that hard about. But seriously, this isn't something you need to worry about. Just recite enough to make Magath happy and forget about it."

Except according to Kruger, that Rumbling will be gracing them with its presence within their lifetime. Well, Kruger's lifetime. But that's pretty much their lifetime, too. That means there must be some form of King Fritz's descendant who will be sending out these Colossal-sized titans out for a walk eventually.

It's not something he can just "forget" about.

"What if that's wrong, Porco? What if there are people on that island?" Eren asks.

"But if that's true, then how come Marley hasn't firebombed them? It's just Eldians there. Since when has the world tolerated the existence of Eldians enough to allow them to exist on their own like that on an island? See? There can't be anyone on that island. Because otherwise, Marley would have already killed them."

... That's... actually surprisingly sound logic. Maybe Eren should stop making fun of Porco for not being as smart as his brother. Logic or not, though, it doesn't change the fact that there is a prediction of the Rumbling happening.

Or is there...?

Right now, Eren is operating under the assumption that Kruger told him the truth. But even if Kruger himself believes that this is the truth, there's still the possibility that the Attack Titans lied.

Eren sighs heavily and runs his finger through his hair. "I hate this. Why the hell are there so many variables to think about?"

"Probably because it's real life and not a plot in a story," comes the cheeky answer.

Haha. Very funny. Eren doesn't read that many adventure story. He was trying to learn the language, alright?

"Hey Porco, if the Rumbling was real and you knew it would happen soon, what would you do?"

Porco sniggers. "Pfft!! If that happens, you have nothing to worry about, is there? I'll come to rescue you."

Ugh. What kind of a cheesy...? And Porco thinks that Eren reads too much, does he? Damn it. Isn't he embarrassed saying something like that out loud? Eren feels embarrassed for him.

"That makes me even more worried!" Eren protests, trying to ignore his blushing face.

"W-what's with that?! That was super cool just now! At least acknowledge that!!"

* * *

"Magath must have really hated you to give you the Cart."

Pieck forces herself to pretend to not know what he's talking about. The Cart Titan stares at her for a second longer before shrugging.

"Not my business, I suppose. Ah, right. The two weeks 'learning' period is really for the Attack Titan. If you want, feel free to stay home until it's time for you to inherit. Then I'm done here."

It's at the tip of her tongue. She wants to ask about the previous female Cart Titans. Of course, she heard the rumors. But those are just that, right? Vicious rumors that circulate because the Warrior Division used to be looked down upon. Because people are jealous of the Honorary Marleyan title.

No one's going to make her do anything more than her soldier duties, right?

The Cart Titan lets out a soft sigh as if he understands Pieck's unease. "I'm not a mind reader nor am I as sharp as Zeke. If you want answers to a question, you need to voice them."

"I... heard that the previous female Cart Titans... er... spent a lot of time on their hands and knees, even outside of their titans. T-that's because you get used to being in titan form on all fours, right? L-like how you have a crutch."

Her voice is shaking with effort to stay lighthearted. But the look on the Cart Titan's face doesn't comfort her.

"Shouldn't you know this by now? If a Marleyan officer gives you an order, you have no right to refuse. At least unlike the other female Carts before you, you don't have to worry about other Eldians since you'll be protected under the 'Honorary Marleyan' title. Just do the same thing you've always done. Smile and obey. Cut off your emotions."

The words "That's not fair" is at the tip of her tongue. This is why she didn't want this titan. She would have much preferred the Female Titan or even the Beast over this. If she's the Beast Titan, then she doesn't have to go out into battle. She'd be the most useless titan for combat, so she can stay close to Liberio, where her dad is. As for the Female Titan... What kind of a girl doesn't want to be _the_ female representative?

But if she thinks about it logically, it makes sense to give Annie the Female Titan. She's the most suited for a all-rounder titan. Not to mention that you can't cripple a martial artist. So as the one other girl, you just have to give the Cart to Pieck, right?

It's frustrating, but it's not like her complaining to the Cart Titan before her is going to change anything.

The fact that Magath was willing to put Eren in a Marleyan hospital already gives her hope that her dad's going to be able to get the treatment he needs to live.

That's all that she needs to focus on.

That's all she needs to live.

Taking a deep breath, she asks the Cart, "Please teach me how to cut my emotions off."

She expects a lecture. She expects maybe a demonstration. She doesn't expect an annoyed sigh and a roll of the eyes. She doesn't expect for the Cart Titan to rub his neck like this is a chore and he's thinking of ways to get out of it.

Perhaps because of the small party they threw for Eren, she came to believe that those of the Warrior Division are all on the same side. That was naive of her. The Warriors probably only indulged them because Zeke requested it of them. 

"Don't you already know how to do that?" the Cart asks.

He doesn't say more, but she hears the quiet warning anyways. It takes her a second to realize it must be because of the Marleyan soldiers in the room with them. It's not that the Cart Titan is being disagreeable. It's that he's trying to (harshly) remind her of where they are.

She cannot speak so casually as if she's home with her dad.

Just a little, though, she can't help but to wonder if the other Warrior Candidates are going through this kind of lessons, too.

*

She's surprised to find Bertolt and Marcel talking to each other by the gates of the headquarter when she leaves for the day. She's not so naive to think that they're waiting for her. They probably got caught up while talking and forgot that they're still here.

That's just like them.

"If you don't hurry home, the sun's going to go down," she reminds them lightly.

The Cart Titan isn't wrong, by the way. She does know how to "cut off" her emotion. Of course, she does. When your dad is always walking the line of life and death, it is expected of you to show a certain image for the public to see. If you're too angry, then you're a cold bitch with no empathy. If you cry too much, then you're a selfish bitch who can't understand that her dad needs support. If you smile too much, then you're a psycho bitch who is just counting down the day for her dad to die and for her to be free.

So yeah, she knows how to cut off her emotions. She can smile so blandly, so neutrally, that no one can guess what she's really thinking.

"Your creepy smile is why no one approaches you," Marcel says without any sign of tact.

This is why your only friend is someone who lost his memories and the only other person that tolerates your existence is related to you.

"I'm shocked you guys are still here. Won't your parents be worried?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're heading back." Marcel waves his hand in the air almost carelessly.

"My, Marcel. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was talking to Porco!" Pieck can't help but to jab.

The sour look Marcel shoots her is more than worth it. It's rare enough to get Marcel alone as it is. But to also get him in this bad of a mood? Heh. Not much of a model brother when Porco isn't around, is he?

He's so boringly obvious.

"You shouldn't look down on him like that," comes the typical overprotective brotherly answer. "Between the two of us, he's much stronger."

"Strength without brains is just a waste of space."

Marcel goes quiet for a second before smirking. And damn it. It looks like the jig is up. Pieck had hoped that she could take her anger out on him before returning to her dad.

"Training not go the way you want it to?" Marcel taunts.

"What about you? You were weeding for majority of the day."

The two smile sweetly at each other without any warmth. Her irritation is too obvious for this to be a neutral smile. Damn it. She hates this guy the most. Unlike Zeke who can probably see all of their weak sides, too, Marcel makes it a point to use it as a weapon for everyday normal conversations like this.

His personality is so nasty. Pieck doesn't understand why anyone would willingly be by his side.

"Guys," Bertolt calls, reminding the two of them of their location.

It's all they need, really. The two of them are supposedly the "smartest" of the Warrior Candidates, not counting Zeke. They quiet down and salute at the passing by Marleyan soldiers. Luckily, they aren't given a second look. But from the direction that the soldiers are headed, it looks like Magath might be getting a headache soon.

Serves him right.

"General Calvi's men," Marcel notes.

At least that means someone from the Warrior Division isn't about to be labeled a traitor. This looks like it's for official business. Maybe a new mission? But isn't that bad timing? There's no way they can afford to risk the Warrior Candidates' lives this close to inheritance.

"They were in a hurry," Pieck adds.

There's a grim look on Marcel's face. "Either a mission or..." He lets that hang in the air before shaking his head. "Let's go home."

Not going to say it in Marleyan territory, huh? That's good. Pieck would rather not get involved with someone who thoughtlessly blurts things out.

Bertolt glances at the two of them, clearly forming thoughts of his own. This is fine, too. Quietly observing to figure things out is much better. It's fine to not know things. But it's not fine to voice that out loud.

Pieck wonders if that's what they learned from their respective titans.

*

"Pieck... You don't have to do this," says her dad as he does every night since Pieck was chosen to inherit the Cart Titan.

She bets that he wouldn't say that if she ended up with another titan.

*

Staying at home is not an option.

It'll become too obvious to her dad how unhappy she is. And the last thing she needs is to see his guilt-ridden face as he begs her not to do this. But doesn't he get it? If he's gone, then how is she supposed to live by herself in this world? At least if the two of them have each other, they can create a small bit of happiness to hold them over the harsh future awaiting them.

So she heads to the headquarter, even though she's supposed to be on vacation.

"Oh? Are you both slacking?" she can't help but to ask when she sees Eren and Porco in the classroom, reading with stacks of books around them.

Porco probably got the okay from the Armored Titan to do whatever he felt like, like Pieck. Colt was doing his regular drills outside, so she's pretty sure that Eren at least should be doing those, too. but the two of them seem pretty comfortably set up in here.

"Commander Magath said I need to finish reading all of these," Eren tells her with an exasperated sigh. "He thinks I'm an idiot or something!"

It's probably less of that and more of Magath desperately trying to cover all areas of knowledge. Eren's ability to change the Attack Titan's predictions is too dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn't know about the world. Eren sure is lucky that he can think so naively about things and never have to worry about inheriting a titan. Commander Magath will bend over backwards to keep him alive to keep that power for as long as he can and not just for 13 years.

But for Pieck, her most anticipated dream is going to be the end of that 13 years. The freedom from this damned world will finally be granted to her.

"Then instead of spending time in here, why don't we all go on a field trip?" Pieck suggests with her usual neutral smile.

There's a look on Eren's face that she doesn't recognize. It throws her off just enough to make her smile slip. She can't believe she's saying this, but Porco's cluelessness is what saves her from that almost cold look on Eren's face.

"We're going to have to get Magath's permission first."

It's easier to focus on someone who easily falls for everything. The neutral smile is back on her face when she turns to Porco.

"I have a plan."

*

Magath doesn't even blink at their request.

"No."

Harsh. But it's nothing she didn't expect.

"What's a museum?" Eren asks Porco quietly.

"Where you put dead things," Porco whispers back.

Pieck couldn't have asked for better timed question and answer. She smiles innocently at Magath who gives the three of them the dirtiest look. Can't have your precious "Future Manipulator" be so ignorant about the world, can you, Magath?

"I can't send you there impromptu. If you wanted to go today, give up."

It's not a complete no. Just no for today. Was Magath always this lenient of a person? Pieck searches her memory for any sign of it and comes up blank. This is most definitely something new that wasn't a part of the equation before. What does it mean? Why now? Because of Eren? Because they will be the first generation of Warriors created by the Young Warriors Program? Oh? Could it be that their commander is a lot softer than first advertised?

"The paperwork for it won't go through until at least a month. Can you brats not make a scene until then?"

And how can she take advantage of this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You must be disappointed that you'll be getting the Beast," Xaver says softly.
> 
> It's true. Zeke thought for certain that he would be inheriting the Attack. How could he not when everyone around him has all but prepared him for it? 
> 
> "As someone with the royal bloodline, being able to see the future will give you the biggest advantage."
> 
> They faked it, you know. As long as the current Attack Titan does not see who the next holder of the Attack will be, it won't be set in stone. Then all he has to do is lie to Magath and say that Zeke will be the next Attack Titan. What's Magath going to do? Go against an "absolute prediction?"
> 
> But to be honest, this is a relief in a way, too. He doesn't have to worry about the expectations placed upon him since he was a child, all because of who his mom is. He can take a second for himself while the rest of the Eldian Restorationists figure out where to go from here. 
> 
> "I think I'm more shocked than disappointed," Zeke tells Xaver.
> 
> Xaver's smile is kind as always. "You're always such a sweet child."
> 
> "I'm not a child anymore, Mr. Xaver," Zeke reminds him lightly. But he doesn't mind too much.
> 
> It's probably because of how they met. Dina and Grisha had rather explosive fights when it came to Zeke's future. Even if Zeke was considered the worst Warrior Candidate at the time, he found the Warrior Headquarter to be the safest place he can be at than at home. It was probably because Xaver was here for him.
> 
> "Then shall we play catch? For old time's sake?"
> 
> "I think I'd like that."
> 
> Just like this.


	14. chapter 3 still holds the record for the most amount of rewrites, but this chapter comes close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theo knows it's never a good sign when General Calvi suddenly throws an emergency meeting. But when he throws an emergency meeting with all the heads of the division and even the Tybur family head?
> 
> Please don't let this be about the wasted bullets.
> 
> "Why didn't you report that this child can change the Attack Titan's prediction?" comes the accusation.
> 
> Theo straightens, the excuse for defending his division's budget at the tip of his tongue. Then he registers what was said. This isn't about the budget? Hah. So there is still luck left on Theo's side. 
> 
> "Sir, I did report it. It's the reason why I believe the Paradis Mission will work out once the new Warriors are comfortable with their titans," Theo reminds him.
> 
> "But you didn't say that this... 'Eren Jaeger,' was it? You didn't say that he can change predictions."
> 
> Actually, Theo did. It was in the fucking report. But thinking that Calvi read that is thinking too highly of their General. Most likely, someone paraphrased it for him, and now Theo's ass is on fire because the General couldn't have bothered to ask questions when Theo first mentioned this.
> 
> "Someone who can change the Attack Titan's prediction? How do you know that the Attack Titan wasn't lying to you to begin with? There's no proof that says that this 'Eren' can actually do anything aside from the words of another Eldian."
> 
> These are all complaints and questions that Theo has already prepared himself to answer. And lucky for him, the other Marleyan commanders are just as stupid as their general, so his original script he prepared will work for this situation.
> 
> "That's why I want a year to prepare everything. I have chosen for the next Attack Titan, a child whose loyalty to Marley is unquestionable. He will be the lie detector."
> 
> "And how is his loyalty so unquestionable?" 
> 
> "His father is a Marleyan."
> 
> And here comes the predictable-
> 
> "What good is being a 'half' Marleyan? There's still devil blood in his veins."
> 
> "In order for a chance to be a 'happy family,' that child will obey any order."
> 
> Calvi raises a brow. "You've tested this, then?"
> 
> "Of course." 
> 
> Just why do they think Theo dragged the Warrior Candidates along on so many missions? To use up more of their limited budget? Don't be stupid. It's to get used to the kids and how they work while making sure the kids are used to his way of thinking and running the division. It's all for the sake of Theo's goal.
> 
> "Give me the funding that I ask for. I'll have the Founding Titan under control."

"You want to come over today?" Zeke asks.

Eren nods, grinning excitedly. "I haven't talked to you in forever! You don't miss me?"

Hehe. How cute.

"That's not a problem. Mom's going to be late, so if you want dinner, you'll have to settle for my cooking. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah! That's perfect!"

*

"There's something I've been wondering a lot about," Eren says as he helps Zeke prepare dinner by setting the table.

"Well, I can't say that I know the answer, but I can try help you puzzle things out," Zeke promises. He turns on the stove and tosses on the chopped vegetables.

Eren hesitates for a second before turning to Zeke with a serious look. "It's about Owl."

"Owl?" Zeke echoes.

Oh, could it be that Eren is graduating from the cute monkey doll Zeke gave him when he was little? He knew that this day will come. But he didn't think that Eren would go for a bird. As long as this stays as a stuffed animal and not a real one, Zeke thinks it should be fine.

... Please tell him Eren didn't find an actual owl somewhere and is secretly trying to raise it.

"W-what's your opinion? Is he trustworthy? What do you like about him?"

Trustworthy? Like? Is Eren trying to raise this owl into a partner-in-crime? He's going to make Reiner cry again. But to think his little brother is trying to raise an owl... Zeke hopes that no one with a bird allergy stops by the clinic any time soon.

"Well, owls are smart by nature, so I imagine yours will be trustworthy. It just depends on how you raise it, right? And I'm sure I'd like it as long as you teach it manners."

There's a small pause of confused silence as Eren stares at Zeke. Is... this not what he should have said? Aren't they talking about owl, the bird? Are there any other owls that Eren might know? A character from a story? Or...

A cold feeling slowly sinks into his stomach. T-there's no way, right? It can't be...?

"Y-you are talking about owl as in the bird, right? Y-you found a baby owl or something in the backyard and want to raise it?"

It's embarrassing how desperate he sounds. What happened to the calm mask he worked so hard to craft to fool the Marleyans? What happened to his tight control over his emotion? Since when did the great Zeke Jaeger become so hopelessly lost at mere words?

"Owl... is a bird?" Eren asks. "I er... meant the guy in charge of the Eldian Restorationists. He said to talk to you if I wanted to verify his claims."

Instead of the overwhelming despair he thought he'd feel, there seems to be a pit of lava in his stomach. It burns him with red hot rage. He can't recall the last time he felt this intense of an anger that his entire body trembled. That bastard. That bastard. It wasn't enough to rob Zeke of a pretense of a happy childhood, but he has to reach for Eren as well? Does he plan on stealing every last bit of humanity in Zeke before he is satisfied?

"Zeke?"

Deep breaths. The anger he feels right now isn't aimed at Eren. The last thing Zeke wants to do is make Eren feel like he shouldn't have relied on Zeke to talk.

"That man... you er... You met him?"

Eren nods hesitantly. It is as Zeke feared. He made Eren feel too uncomfortable about this. But the last thing he needs right now is to push Eren away from talking to Zeke and towards talking to Owl. That is the one thing that he must prevent. Not Eren. The Eldian Restorationists cannot have Eren. Zeke will make sure of it.

"How much about the Eldian Restorationists did he tell you?" Zeke asks as calmly as he can.

"Not too much. Just that you guys want the Rumbling to happen. And that you don't want me to get in the way with my future changing whatever."

So pretty much everything then.

Zeke sighs. He adds the two day's old rice into the vegetable mix. Like this, even the old rice would be edible for another delicious meal. He cracks two eggs in while thinking about how best to approach this. The elusive Owl that even Zeke hasn't met before has taken the step to meet Eren. From Eren's words, it sounds like it was more of a warning in hopes of preventing Eren from changing that future.

"As for your previous question about trustworthiness of Owl... I have never met him face to face, but his decisions have never steered us wrong. I assume it's because he has the Attack Titan's advice by his side."

It's cheating having the Attack Titan's help, though. Zeke is of the opinion that his strategies are better since they don't rely on anyone else. But that's not what Eren asked.

"Eren, when Owl approached you, did he offer you anything? Or say something that made you feel... like your life or your happiness is being threatened?"

There's the smallest of pauses as if Eren can't quite bring himself to trust Zeke. Then he must have made up his mind because he shakes his head no with a calm smile.

"Just that I need to be careful not to change the future. He said that he didn't want anything to happen to me since I'm your little. It sounded like you were important to them."

Zeke honestly can't tell if that's a lie or not. But Eren's ears aren't turning red, so this must be the truth. He feels himself relaxing. So Owl only approached Eren out of caution? It's odd. You'd think that he'd want to be more careful than to show his face to a Warrior Candidate so suddenly. So he must have had certainty from either the Attack Titan (Unlikely since the Attack Titan claimed that he couldn't see Eren in his predictions... unless he lied?) or from circumstances itself that Eren wouldn't (or would be unable to) turn him in. Knowing his sweet brother, Zeke won't be shocked if Owl blackmailed Eren. That bastard.

"It's not me that's important to them. It's my blood."

Eren trusted him enough after all that to open up to him. It's the least that Zeke can do to return the favor.

"When King Fritz called all Eldians to the Island of Paradis, there were few Eldians who disagreed with him and purposefully refused to go. Among those were members of his own family. In other words, I'm a descendant of one."

He wonders if maybe he should have led up to that more gradually instead of dropping on Eren like that. But he doesn't want Eren to feel like he's dancing around a topic. Just like Eren faced Zeke directly to tell him about Owl, Zeke wants to do the same.

"It doesn't really mean much in every day living situation. But the titan researchers believe that being of the royal bloodline might be the key to unlocking more potential behind the titan abilities."

"For that reason you had to join the Warrior Division?" Eren asks, his voice low.

Belatedly, Zeke wonders if maybe he shouldn't have said anything about that. His little brother is too kindhearted to take this as anything but as something tragic. If Eren had been the older brother, he wonders if his own upbringing would have been happier. Hah. What a useless thing to think about.

"Eren, I'm thankful for your feelings, but this is my duty. There's no need for you to feel upset over what must be done."

Zeke turns off the fire and brings the stir-fry over for the two of them to eat. Eren watches his movement, quite possibly because he's nervous about this line of topic. But to be honest, Zeke has more than enough time to come to terms with it. This is just his duty. There's nothing more to it than that.

"It's just crummy," Eren grumbles with a pout. "It wasn't even like you asked to be born. But they expect you to play a role just for being born into this world. Even though just being born should be miracle enough."

His little brother's heart is much too kind. It was probably better for Zeke to never bring this up. But he doesn't feel right leaving Eren in the dark. No. From this point on, it'll be for the best that they be as honest as they can with one another. To do otherwise would be the same as leaving Eren to fend alone for himself against the rest of the world's hatred of Eldians. At least like this, Zeke can arm his brother with information and a small place he can call a safe haven.

"That's just how things are. Even if I wasn't born of the royal line, I'm still an Eldian. Just by that itself is enough to cause heartaches. But unlike most people, I have this adorable little brother who cares deeply for me. That is enough."

Eren's cheeks flush red as he groans. "You're such a sap!"

Zeke laughingly distributes the food for them to eat.

*

"Are you on board with their plan? About the Rumbling, I mean," Eren asks in the middle of eating.

Zeke pauses to think about it. "I suppose I am. It's hard not to support it. Liberio is one of the rare places that treat Eldians well, probably because of the Warrior Division. So it's easy to fall into the false pretense that Eldians have it easy. But you'll start to see it more and more when we go on missions."

But to be honest, he wishes there was a different way.

Even if they wipe out the rest of the world, it won't change their titan powers. Every 13 years, they'll still have to pick someone to inherit these powers or be content with an infant to be born with it. They'll never be able to escape the constant fear that one day, they'll become pure titans and eat their loved ones. Instead of living in that kind of world at the top, wouldn't it be better if they got rid of this power?

"Get rid of it? Is that possible?" Eren asks when Zeke voices his thoughts.

"As of now, no. We have yet to find something like that. According to the research Xaver has been conducting, our biology is too closely tied to that of a titan's."

"Then it's pointless!" Eren groans.

Zeke can't help but to laugh. "Indeed. The only way to make it work would be if we were to get rid of all Eldians in the world instead."

Eren doesn't have to make that face for Zeke to know where his little brother stands on this. It's a shame. Zeke thinks that it's a better plan. Instead of letting the power of titans live on like this, isn't is much better to get rid of it? So that the rest of the world can live in peace without ever having to worry about these monstrous abilities.

"We have to die because of something we can't even control? Even if it's just theory we're throwing around, I don't like it," Eren grumbles.

Yeah, Eren's too kind for that kind of views in life.

Zeke will give Eren a few more years and a couple more missions under his belt before he brings it up again. Until then, he'll pretend that this plan he discussed with Xaver is just a joke.

*

"Do you want me to walk you back to the clinic?" Zeke suggests.

Eren shakes his head. "I'm good!"

Zeke wonders if it's because of their talk about Owl and the Eldian Restorationists. He knows that his brother isn't stupid enough to go around blabbering about that to everyone he sees. But he can't help but to worry anyways.

"D-don't talk to strangers, okay? Go straight home and-"

"Zeke!" Eren groans. "I'm not a kid!"

"It can't be helped since you're my precious brother!" Zeke whines, purposefully playing up the theatrics. "You're so mean! After all that I've done for you!"

As he thought it would, Eren rolls his eyes. But Zeke doesn't miss the twitch of Eren's lips that Eren is trying hard to hide his smile behind. His brother is too honest and kind.

Zeke worries.

* * *

Okay, Eren knows what he said. But he just... It just happened, okay? It wasn't like he was purposefully trying to take a detour. And he most definitely didn't go looking for a streetlamp to climb, so it's not like he's being airheaded on purpose. It's just that he smelled sweet bread, and before he knew it, he found himself in front of this building.

"Hoover Bakery" is written on the sign of the house. It seems that a lot of the shops double as people's houses. But if this is "Hoover Bakery," then this should be where Faye works, right?

And Faye most definitely left for work this morning. So Eren can at least use the excuse that he wanted to walk back with his aunt. Y-yeah. That's why he's here. Not because he smelled something sweet. Totally.

"Hello?" he calls as he opens the door.

"We're done toda... Oh, Eren? Are you here to talk to Bertolt?" a kindly man asks with a smile.

Bertolt's dad, Eren assumes.

"Yes! A-and to walk Aunt Faye back. Is she done for the day?"

"Faye had a half-day today, so she's not here."

Damn. So much for that excuse.

"But I'll go call Bertolt for you," Bertolt's dad tells him. Then with a small wink, he adds, "You know, we're done for the day. The bread that are out will be tossed out if they aren't eaten today."

Eren doesn't need more invitation than that.

"Thank you!"

*

Eren recognizes some of the bread as things that Faye has brought back from work before. But there are also other bread that he hasn't seen before. He figures that he should prioritize trying new bread, but which one? They all smell so delicious...

Now that he's looking at the nameplates next to the bread, he realizes that none of them have any price listed. Does everyone know what each of them cost? Or maybe the cost changes depending on who asks? Eren does recall that some of the shopkeepers do things like that to soldiers who aren't from the area back in his own world.

Huh? Wait. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn't recall seeing money change hands in this world. He knows money exists, because Marleyans use it (And he's sure that Magath has complained a lot about lack of funding before). But do Eldians use money? He can't recall the patients at the clinic paying for the treatment either.

"E-Eren! G-good to see you!" Bertolt says as he rushes out to greet him.

"Hey Bertolt. These bread," Eren points at the nameplate. "Do they not have monetary value attached?"

Bertolt looks a bit confused by the question but he humors Eren. "We don't use money inside the interment zone. Everything's about trading. But since so many people go outside now, there's bit of money that circulates here."

So it's like that.

"Did you want to eat one?" Bertolt asks. "This one's not that sweet, so I don't think you'll like it. But this over here has lemon glaze on top. I think you'll enjoy it."

Trust Bertolt to already know which ones for Eren to try.

Eren giggles. "Thanks!"

*

"You didn't come to see me but to eat?" Bertolt asks with a small pout when Eren tells him the circumstances.

"W-well, I came to see Aunt Faye. Eating just happened to happen. A-and I wanted to see you, too!"

Eren isn't sure if his words are convincing at all. The pout on Bertolt's face doesn't disappear, so he's guessing he's failing.

"Are things going okay with the Colossal Titan? He's not... h-hurting you or anything, right?"

Bertolt gives him an incredulous stare. Is... that a good sign? Eren can't tell by looking.

"Why would a Warrior hurt one of us for? And as for your question, I'm... not sure if I can say it's 'good.' The Colossal told me that I'm free to spend the time doing what I want to do before the inheritance. It sounded like most of us got the time off except for Reiner and Marcel."

"Have you just been staying home then?"

Bertolt nods in answer. Well, unlike others, Bertolt has a family bakery to help out at. Eren bites into the bread. Now that they're standing like this, he realizes that he doesn't really have all that much to say. Maybe he should have prepared something?

"And you? Is training with Colt and the commander going okay? Marcel mentioned that you've been reading bunch of books."

Oh. Right. He can talk about himself. What an odd thought. The Bertolt from his world refrained from talking or asking about other people for the most part. Eren preferred not to speak to him, but if he did, it was always with someone as a buffer like Reiner or Armin. It feels almost surreal that Bertolt is willingly asking questions about his life.

"Yeah, it's been nonstop reading. My eyes are getting really tired from looking at text all day... Oh, right. Bertolt, do you have a book on animals by any chance?"

"On animals? Yeah, I have one. Why do you ask?"

It's not like Eren can say that it's because he didn't know that "owl" was a type of a bird, now can he? Well, actually, he probably could. But he doesn't want to bring up how he got around to figuring that out. Just in case.

"I've been reading a lot of books about technology and history. So I thought it'd be a nice way to break up my time. Can I borrow it?"

"Say no more. I'll bring it."

*

With the book safely under his arm, he waves Bertolt goodbye and finally makes his way back.

*

"Eren! Do you know what time it is? Where have you been?" Carla exclaims when she sees him.

Right. He never told them he was going over to Zeke's, did he? It was kind of impromptu when he saw that Zeke was heading back around the same time. And unlike in his world, it's much more dangerous for an Eldian child to be out alone.

"I went to talk to Zeke since I haven't seen him in so long. Then I stopped by Bertolt's because I thought Aunt Faye was at work."

He sees the rest of his family relax when they hear his reason. But he must have worried them quite a lot because the relief soon turns into anxious lecturing.

"Eren, you can't just disappear like that. I'm not saying that you need to report to us where you are every minute. But you should at least give us a heads up if you're going over to someone's house," Grisha says.

"Sorry. I got caught up in the moment. I'll make sure to give you guys a heads up next time," Eren promises. "Er... I was thinking about hanging out with Marcel and Porco this weekend. I promise I'll come straight back tomorrow, so is that okay?"

Just now, his family let out a collective sigh like they're resigning themselves to something.

"If there's any problem or a sign of one, you run straight home," Grisha makes him promise.

At least that much is easy enough.

"You were looking for me, Eren?" Faye asks once the grilling finishes. "Let me guess, you wanted a little snack?"

"Speaking of, have you eaten dinner? Before a snack, you should eat a full meal." his grandma adds.

"Zeke made me dinner. And I had a snack, but if there's another one, then-"

Carla gives him a look that makes him close his mouth with a clack. No extra dessert it is then.

*

The book about animals that Bertolt gave him must be for children. The font is huge, and there are a lot of pictures. Because of all the serious discussions that have happened recently, it escaped Eren's notice that Bertolt probably doesn't have any other books about animals than this picture book.

But he didn't think there would be this many animals in the world. He wonders if he would have been able to find animals like these in his own world if he had the chance to leave those walls. Probably, right? Since the pure titans that roamed outside the walls left animals alone.

"Monkey," he mumbles when he sees the word in the index.

It's a familiar word to him for some odd reasons. He thinks he might have heard it in passing somewhere. He just isn't too sure where. But he doesn't recall there being any "monkeys" within the walls. Then what might this be?

He flips the book to the page to see what this monkey might be and freezes.

_"Funny, considering that your eyes were beaming like you were kids when you saw that monkey earlier."_

That's right. Ymir said it back in his own world. No one bothered explaining it to him after throwing that word around for a bit, so he didn't file it away as something important. Eren thought it sounded familiar, though.

No wonder Ymir called the Beast Titan a monkey. He sees the similarities. Long, lanky arms and a body covered in fur and that stupid face. Yup. Beast Titan is a monkey, confirmed.

According to the information written next to it, monkeys love bananas and are intelligent. How fitting then that the first intelligent titan that they came across in his world looked like a monkey. Wait, hold up. That means that the Beast Titan that he saw back then is now going to belong to Zeke, right? Then is Zeke also going to start looking like a monkey?

What a waste of his handsome face...

Eren puts the book down for now to prepare to sleep. Since he'll be back to reading tomorrow, he'll doubtlessly end up drifting off if he doesn't get enough sleep. The last thing he wants is for Magath to scold him for sleeping instead of reading.

Wait.

Now that he thinks about it, he recalls seeing a toy that kind of looks like a monkey in the toy drawer. He digs it up without much thought. The fur of the doll feels like it's been through a lot of washes. But it still feels like there's warmth behind this doll.

"Eren, are you ready for bed?" his mom calls, knocking on the door.

"Y-yeah! I er... don't need a lullaby every night," he reminds her.

Since Marcel stayed over at the clinic to sing him a lullaby, his mom seems to have gotten into her head that she needs to sing him to sleep. And yes, he hasn't had a nightmare since she started doing that. But that could just be a circumstantial evidence. He bets that he won't have any more nightmares anyways. Why would he? He's more or less used to this place now.

"I'm sure," she tells him with an affectionate smile. "Think of it as a favor you're doing for your mom, okay?"

When she puts it like that, it's hard to say no.

He lets her tuck him in bed, even though it's embarrassing. But if this will make her happy, then he doesn't think it's right of him to refuse. Besides, it'll be a lie if he said that he hated it. It's been a long time since he felt his mom spoil him like this.

"Oh, you brought this guy back out," she says when she spots the monkey doll that Eren put on his desk. She brings it over to him in bed even though he didn't ask. "I thought Warriors don't play with dolls?"

"I-I wasn't playing with it!" Eren protests.

She giggles and puts the monkey by his side. "I'm just teasing you. There's nothing wrong with playing with dolls."

"Mom! I said I wasn't playing!"

She laughs and runs her fingers through his hair. It doesn't take long for her to start humming. But there's still something he's curious about.

"Hey mom? This doll is a hand-me down, right? Who did I get it from?"

The smile on her face disappears for a second. When it returns, it has a tint of sadness to it. Should he not have asked that? Just when the words to forget the question is at the tip of his tongue, her smile becomes mischievous.

"It's Zeke's. You used to look up to him so much that anything he had, you just had to have, too. This was Zeke's favorite toy, but you threw such a big fit over it that he felt obliged to give it to you." She sighs. "Honestly, I don't know where you get this spoiled personality of yours!"

Eren feels his cheeks burn even though that wasn't him that did it. Still, it's hitting him yet again. Just how full of love this family is. No wonder the Eren of this world treasured them so.

"Then when the Warrior Candidacy Exams opened up, you jumped for your chance, citing that you wanted to be a hero like Zeke. Honestly, what will we do with you if Zeke didn't watch out for you as well as he does?"

"Well, sorry for being not a good son like Zeke," he grumbles.

She ruffles his hair affectionately. "I'm glad you're aware."

"Moooooom!"

"Eren, you're you. You don't have to try so hard to be a hero like Zeke or your dad or your grandpa. It's okay to take your time deciding what you want to be."

Whether it be his own world or here, his mom seems to be the same as always. It makes him feel almost okay with accepting this love as his own.

"Is it okay if, until I find something, I be your spoiled son?"

Her eyes are so kind as she leans in to kiss his forehead.

"That is more than okay," she promises.

Eren wonders if this feeling of guilt will ever ebb.

*

Reiner comes to pick him up in the morning as he does every morning. Eren has more or less gotten used to walking with Reiner. What he isn't are the fresh bruises on Reiner's arms.

"I got better at defending myself," Reiner says proudly when Eren asks.

"But he's still hitting you," Eren reminds him.

Reiner waves his hand in the air dismissively. "It's fine because it's not as noticeable on my arms. Mom doesn't ask about it, and that's what's important."

Eren wonders if it'll be annoying if he pushes the point. He knows that this will only last until the inheritance, but it's still frustrating to be unable to do anything. Almost as if understanding his unease, Reiner reaches over and holds his hand.

"It's fine, Eren! I'm doing really well now. In fact, the Attack Titan even grudgingly said that I've improved."

He should go along with Reiner's good mood for now. There isn't that much time left, so this should be okay.

"Yeah? That's great! What is he trying to get you to improve on?"

Reiner grins proudly. "Reason and logic. Figuring out why a prediction might happen and how to make the best of it. I bet I can go toe-to-toe with Marcel now."

"Then let's have a match this weekend! I'm going to defeat both of you!"

"Huh? W-wait, you're competing, too?"

Eren smirks smugly. "What's wrong, Reiner? Scared you can't win against me?"

"Not a chance!" Reiner laughs. "Then shall we put dessert on the line?"

"Why not invite Bertolt and ask him to bring something sweet?"

"This weekend is going to be fun!"

*

With invitations given to the key players for the weekend, Eren settles down in the classroom with Colt and Porco.

"Why did you even come?" Eren asks Porco curiously. "You're off, right?"

"I'm not supposed to be off," comes the angry grumble.

Looks like Porco is struggling with the Armored Titan, huh? At least he's not getting hit. Actually, with Porco's personality what it is, he'll probably hit back just as hard... The Attack Titan is getting off light because it's Reiner. Eren can't wait until that bastard gets eaten.

"Who the hell doesn't even let others know not to show up? He's such an ass."

Eren pats Porco on the shoulder consolingly. Then he glances over at Colt. "Do you think we'll be allowed to leave early today?"

"I'll make sure to run fast," Colt promises.

That wasn't a criticism of Colt's speed, but Eren is thankful for that anyways. He picks up a random book and flips to a random page to pretend like he's hard at work. Then he pulls out the animal book from Bertolt and places it so that no one would be able to tell what he's really reading.

"Oh, surprisingly a lot of us are here," Pieck greets as she walks in.

"Did the Cart also forget to tell you he's not going to be here?" Porco asks her.

There's a stiff look on her face for a bit before she smiles blandly. "Something like that."

"They're such assholes!" Porco grumbles. He leans heavily against Eren's back, possibly looking for someone to agree with his whining. "Tell us beforehand! If I knew we had today off, I'd have slept in! And... Hey Eren, what the hell are you reading? Is that a picture book?"

"It can't be helped! None of these books are about animals!"

Eren makes an angry motion at the stacks of books. But seriously, how could Magath forget something so important? If he's going to get Eren books about science, why did he forget about animals?

"Get this! This cute, fluffy looking thing is apparently evil. They eat humans!" Eren says, pointing at the picture of the lion before him.

"W-well, I-I mean... yes, but that's not..." Pieck closes her mouth, staring at Eren like she really doesn't know how to fix this.

Eren doesn't really get why. If what he's saying is wrong, she just needs to point that out, doesn't she? So why is she hesitating for?

"Pfft!! Hahahaha! Lions aren't evil! If eating humans is the basis, then wouldn't we be the evilest of them all? But we're not. We're heroes. See?" Porco says. He shakes his head, laughing.

But in the point of view of the people being eaten, wouldn't they be the evilest anyways? From the hesitant looks on Colt's and Pieck's faces, Eren is certain that they think the same.

"But Porco, we're only heroes to other Eldians at best," Eren begins.

"Yup. What of it? Do we need to be heroes to anyone else? As long as we protect our own, who cares about what happens to anyone else?"

Callous words, but it's not like he's wrong. At least Porco has made it clear where he stands on this topic. But that's probably not something that they should be discussing so loudly in Marleyan territory.

Eren grins, knowing this will be just the thing to distract Porco. "I don't know, Porco. Can you be considered a hero when you still need Marcel to hold your hand to come to the headquarter?"

"W-w-what does that have to... Hey! You hold Reiner's hand! You're the one who isn't a... Marcel doesn't hold my hand! Don't spread lies about me!"

Pfft. It looks like Porco's too flustered to properly respond to one thing.

"Nope! _I_ hold Reiner's hand. That makes me a hero since I'm taking care of him," Eren reasons.

Hehe. Take that, Porco!

Hm? Was that not a flawless of a victory as Eren thought it was? Why is Porco suddenly smirking? W-where did Eren go wrong? No, no. He won. This is a clear-

Porco grabs Eren's scarf and yanks on it, knowing that it's too long to do any damage to Eren. No, no. This asshole is aiming for the fact that it's going to stretch Eren's scarf. Bastard.

"Then all I have to do is look after you. Look at that, I'm a hero, too."

"What kind of a hero grins like a villain?!" Eren tries to protest.

But Porco sniggers, knowing that he snatched this victory from under Eren. Damn it. This is way too humiliating! How the hell did he get so easily defeated by a kid?

"A-and let go of my scarf! You're going to stretch it!"

"So what if I do? I made this one, so I just have to make another one."

Does he think that yarn grows on trees? He should consider his poor mom who has to get that yarn for him!

"Didn't you say that you and Marcel made this together?" Eren recalls. "Are you sure it wasn't Marcel made it and you caused him grief?"

"I'll have you know that I'm a thousand times better than Marcel at handicrafts! All the mistakes were from Marcel!"

Porco's eyes go wide as he quickly covers his mouth. Was that something he shouldn't have said? Oh, now his face is flushing red in embarrassment. Is it supposed to be a secret that Marcel's bad with his hands?

"I-I'm manly! I'm not good at handicrafts!" Porco yells, even though no one said anything about it.

Eren stares at him for a second longer before turning to Colt and Pieck to check whether they heard this nonsense coming out of Porco's mouth. They're both grinning like they've just been waiting for a chance like this. When they notice Eren, they give him a nod and jump right in. Were they waiting for a signal from him or something? H-hey, that makes it sound like he wants to bully Porco! That's not the case! And for the record, he could have won this by himself!

"So manly that you make scarves for fun?" Pieck teases.

Colt laughs. "A thousand times better than Marcel? So Marcel must be a thousand times more manly!"

Porco flushes red before he tries to protect himself. But his words get caught up, and it's clear that he's becoming more and more frustrated. And any other time that would be funny and cute, but...

"Is it that big of a deal?" Eren asks the three of them. "Why does it matter whether something is 'manly' or not? You made a scarf. Whether it's good or not, you created something with your own two hands. Why should that be shamed?"

And now all three are looking at him like he's crazy.

Maybe that's just how things are in this world? Because they didn't suffer the immense tragedy of losing so much of their land and population in one go, they could afford to come up with an arbitrary divide like this. They have more than enough people. Why not divide the jobs and chores so that there's more to go around?

"But only housewives and grandmas do handicrafts! I'm going to be a Warrior, so I can't do that," Porco declares.

"Your world sounds so small," Eren admits.

Porco must have ran out of things to argue, because he pulls Eren into a headlock instead. That's the same as admitting Eren's victory. So while Eren might be the one trapped, he'd just like to point out that he won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do you think it's possible? Someone who can defy the Attack Titan's predictions?" Willy Tybur asks his sister.
> 
> She gives him the stink eye. "Did you seriously wait until I was sick in bed so I would have no choice but to listen?"
> 
> "But aren't you curious as well? All the adults keep talking about it! This 'Eren Jaeger' might be the change that can take the Founding Titan! He might be able to single-handedly topple our family's carefully constructed order!"
> 
> Lara groans and covers her eyes. "I don't care. Go away."
> 
> That's not at all the response that he wanted to hear. Even if she doesn't want to hear it, why can't she just be docile and listen? She's sick anyways. So if she wanted, she can easily claim that she couldn't hear what he said because she was too sick. Just give him this little!
> 
> "I heard from the grapevine that the Warrior Division is going on a field trip today," he adds, trying to entice her into listening.
> 
> "Who cares about their missions?"
> 
> Willy clicks his tongue. "Not a mission. It's a field trip."
> 
> "Eldians don't go on field trips."
> 
> She's such a bore! Willy pouts. Would it hurt her to just indulge him a little? Almost as if she can hear his thoughts, she rolls her eyes.
> 
> "If you're that interested, why don't you go after them and leave me alone?"
> 
> Willy grins. "That's exactly today's plan! It's going to be super awesome! I'll tell you all about it when I get back!"
> 
> "Don't hurry on my account!"


	15. when you're in a good mood thanks to securing extra funds so you try to do a good deed and it backfires, chapter 23 of Magath's autobiography

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like most of the Warriors took this chance to take a break before the end of their lives. On one hand, Theo supposes that he probably should have given them that time himself, but with all the craziness (by that, he really means all the trouble Eren somehow single-handedly caused) recently, he didn't have the luxury to think like that. Not to mention he doesn't particularly feel the need to give them a break. Breaks are for people who work hard and actually put in an effort. 
> 
> People like him, for instance.
> 
> The only ones who took this seriously seems to be the Jaw Titan (although it looks more like she's having fun at Marcel's expense. That's good. That boy has had too many praises heaped onto him. It'll be good for him to learn humility), the Beast Titan (playing catch with Zeke again outside. Their relationship is as good as always. Theo hopes that this closeness they have is enough for the current Beast to pass on all the scientific findings to Zeke. With Zeke's brain, they should be able to figure out even more), and the Attack Titan (as he should since he requested this). The others seems to have dismissed their inheritors until it's time to die. 
> 
> Well, it's not like he can complain too much since he gave them the leeway to handle this on their own. But he did hope a little that they'd do a little more than this.
> 
> Then again, that's probably wishing too much. They made their stance clear when the Young Warriors Program was enacted. He shouldn't push them more than what's strictly necessary. Now would be the worst time to lose any of the Warrior Candidates if one of the Warriors decide to get violent.
> 
> His thoughts and focus should be on the headache that will doubtlessly be dealing with Eren today. At least he'll have Colt's help in managing this, even if it probably won't be much.
> 
> That damned brat better be thankful for the sheer amount of strings Theo pulled for this.

"What are you two doing here?" Magath asks when he spots Porco and Pieck hanging out in the classroom with Eren and Colt.

"I was given a vacation until the inheritance," Pieck says.

"I'm on Eren-watch duty, sir," comes Porco's answer.

Eren scowls at Porco. "Go home, you sore loser!"

Porco sticks his tongue at Eren in answer. But before the two of them can start bickering like usual, Colt clears his throat and raises his hand.

"I-I'm supposed to be here, sir. Eren and I both, that is."

Magath lets out a soft sigh. "You know what? I don't care. Since you guys are here anyways, let's just go."

... Go?

It can't be a mission, since the rest of the group hasn't been assembled. Unless Magath plans on sending them in anyways? W-where, though? Where are they going? Isn't this sort of an important thing that Magath should say before taking them to wherever?

"W-where are we going, sir?" Pieck asks.

Right. They can ask him.

Magath raises a brow at them as if silently chiding them for not remembering. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to a museum?"

"Sir, I thought the paperwork will take over a month?" Eren can't help but to voice.

"If you aren't interested, feel free to go home for the day."

Eren glances over at Porco, Pieck, and Colt. Although they all look excited, there's still apprehension and worry on their faces. Eren doesn't really get why. If they want to see dead things, why not go on a mission? Is it that important to them to go to this museum?

"Then I'll head back-"

Magath shakes his head. "You don't get a choice."

Hey, that's really not fair.

*

It's always struck Eren, but Magath travel everywhere either on foot or by a horse-drawn carriage.

"Are you scared of cars, sir?" Eren asks once they're all in the carriage to head to the museum.

Porco elbows Eren harshly in the side. What? Did he see something interesting outside? But Porco isn't the one sitting by the window. Colt is. Does he want to trade places with Eren so he can see outside better? Wait a minute. Can't he just lean over Pieck to see it?

"Cars are expensive since oil isn't readily available. Once we've conquered those lands, it won't be an issue. But until then, unless it's for military purposes, it's better not to waste funds," Magath says.

"Oil, sir? I was under the impression that it was-"

Porco smacks Eren's leg. "Oh! Your leg was right there. I didn't see it."

It's clear that he aimed for Eren's leg! That's mean!

"S-sir, do you expect us to turn in a report?" Colt asks suddenly.

Eren can't help but to get the feeling that this was planned to stop him from talking. He's not too sure why, though. Wait... Is it because Porco is embarrassed because of the whole "mechitorial" thing? Heh. What a loser. But Eren isn't an immature brat like Porco. He'll keep Porco's mistake a secret from Magath.

"The hell would I want to read something so troubling?"

How... refreshingly honest of their commander.

Eren giggles. "There may be hope for you yet, commander!"

Porco can act innocent all he wants, but everyone saw him hit Eren. Stupid jerk.

*

A museum, as it turns out, is not just filled with dead things, thanks a lot, Porco. There are various other things like engines and military outfits. A small section is dedicated to paintings that Colt seems over the moon to look through. Eren personally liked the section on electricity, because there was an actual demonstration of how a lightbulb works. But that's just Eren.

Just a little, though, it kind of feels like Magath brought them specifically to see that.

By the way, Eren didn't miss that the entire place is empty except for the five of them. It can't be that Magath bought out the place for the day. That's not something a Marleyan would do, not to mention Magath is too stingy to waste his money for something like that. So most likely...

"Did you threaten everyone, sir?"

Pieck lets out a sound like a cross between a squeak and a groan. She makes a zipping motion at Eren, but he's not wearing anything with a zipper. He's not too sure what she's telling him to do. Oh, is Porco's jacket unzipped? Eren turns to check and is immediately greeted by Porco pinching his cheeks.

"Why?!"

Magath looks disgustedly tired when he looks at them. "They're cleaning the museum to prepare a special exhibit. It has nothing to do with you."

Oh, so it was just good timing on their part? How lucky! Good thing Pieck asked when she did. Otherwise, they would have missed out.

"A special exhibit, huh? I think I saw the fliers for that earlier. It's the latest technology from Hizuru," Colt recalls.

Hizuru...? Oh. Right.

It takes Eren a second to remember where he heard of that word before. It was in the history textbook about Marley's allies. A country of Orientals like Mikasa. Then doesn't it stand to reason that he might be able to see her if he goes there? He wonders if there'll ever be an excuse to travel that far. But then again, it's not like he'd be able to stomach her after she gave up on Armin.

"That's kinda weird that they'd put something like that in a museum. Even if we're not enemies, we're not that close," Porco says.

"It's probably something not related to battle," Pieck reasons.

A technology that isn't related to battle... Eren isn't too sure what that might be. No matter how many books he read, he feels that his creativity can't quite catch up to an inventor's.

While thinking such thoughts, he lets his eyes wander around the displays of the room. He doesn't at first register what he's looking at. It's not until he sees the eyes blink that he realizes that that's a person. There's a person over there, hiding behind one of the displays just enough to not be seen, but not enough to be completely hidden.

"Hey, are you lost?" Eren calls out.

The person bolts. That's not a good sign. A normal person wouldn't suddenly take off running just for being found.

Eren gives chase.

On one hand, this can easily be something innocent. On the other, it could be a spy of some sorts. Did Kruger send someone? Would he bother? If not Kruger, then who else does Eren has as an enemy that might do something like this? Perhaps it's an enemy of the Warrior Division? Either way, it doesn't bode well to ignore.

What did that person see? Did Eren say or do anything that could potentially send his family "to heaven?" Pieck is always careful, but both Porco and Colt can get sloppy. Not to mention Colt already has a black mark next to his name. If either of them were to...

The target is clearly not used to being chased, especially not indoors. It makes Eren doubtful that this person might be a spy. But that could just be something that the target is doing on purpose to throw Eren off his track. There's too much at stake if this person ends up intending ill-will for Eren to stop now.

He ducks behind a sign and takes the long way around. Just as he figured, the target is too busy looking behind to realize that Eren is waiting for him in front. But at this close of a distance, it becomes obvious that the target is in fact just a scared kid, one or two years younger than Eren's real age.

Damn.

No sign of an armband either. This kid's a Marleyan? Does his parents work here? And since the museum is supposed to be empty today, they brought him in? Or maybe he just snuck in for shits and giggles? Either way, it doesn't change the fact that Eren lost any kind of defense he might have been able to use. If this kid were to report Eren, is Kruger going to get involved? Will his family be spared? Damn. Damn. Damn. This is the worst. Why couldn't it have been a spy instead?

Damn.

C'mon. Think. There's still a chance to play this off as something silly. There's no need for this to turn into a tragedy. His opponent is a kid. Not a twisted adult like Kruger. Eren can surely outsmart a kid? He's not that incompetent, right?

He lets the kid run straight into him. The force of the momentum knocks the two of them down, but Eren is prepared. He wraps his arms around the kid to break the kid's fall by sacrificing his back. It's annoying, but if this kid were to show any sign of injury, Eren will suffer for it. Getting the wind knocked out of him now is a small price to pay.

"Caught you!" Eren declares in the lightest voice he can manage. "You're it now!"

The kid at least has enough sense to help Eren back to his feet.

Once Eren is up, he nervously looks at Eren and whispers, "W-what does that mean? I'm... 'it?'"

Maybe Marleyans don't play tag? Actually, he hasn't played tag with the other Warrior Candidates either. Is this not a game that they play here? Then what do kids here play normally?

"Have you never played tag before?" Eren asks. "If you're 'it,' that means you're the one chasing people. When you touch another person, that person becomes it. E-er... i-it's mainly an excuse to just run around, really."

"Do... you really w-want to play with me?" comes the question Eren doesn't expect.

The kid looks nervously hopeful. Eren wonders if he's often bullied and has no friends. Just a little, he's reminded of Colt.

"Yeah! Unless you don't want to?"

Beaming, the kid says, "I-I want to play tag with you!"

"Got you!" is the only warning Eren gets before Porco slams into him from the side.

The two of them fall to the ground, the kid quickly dodging them and saving himself. Rude but not surprising. Porco doesn't seem to notice as he immediately moves to put Eren in a tight joint lock.

"Ow! Ow! Let go!"

"Didn't you hear Magath telling you to not run?" Porco snarls.

"You ran, too!" Eren reminds him.

"It was to catch you, so it's different!"

Stop picking and choosing when rules apply!

"E-erm... p-please don't h-hurt him!" the kid says, looking to Porco worriedly.

Porco turns to him with a snarl. "Who the hell are you? Why are you here? The museum is closed."

He must have noticed that this kid doesn't have an armband after that. The scowl on his face wavers just a bit. He moves quickly to untangle himself from Eren and stands so that he's between Eren and the kid. Eren doesn't know to feel exasperated or annoyed.

"I-I'm... Willy," the kid says softly. "Er... u-usually, my family come here when it's closed to the public. But my sister couldn't come with me today."

The family all come here when it's closed? Then maybe they're patrons of the museum?

"You two! I told you no running," Magath growls.

There's not even a hair out of place as he coolly glares them down. Although he looks mildly annoyed, it's not full blown anger. That's good. He doesn't seem to have ran after them, but seeing that he's here before Colt and Pieck, Eren has his doubts. Was he worried about the trouble they'll cause if he didn't get here fast?

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't hear you," Eren tells him honestly.

"Of course you didn't," Magath grumbles lowly. Then a little louder, he adds, "Apologize to the Tybur boy. We're leaving."

... Tybur...?

Willy flinches at being addressed. He keeps his head lowered, quite possibly to shield his expression on his face. It doesn't look like he's angry or terrified, though. Is he caught off-guard because of the appearance of a military commander? Eren thinks that that makes sense. It's probably terrifying to be addressed by a Marleyan commander, especially when you're an Eldian without an armband.

Porco grabs Eren's scarf (Bastard) and tugs him along. "C'mon, let's go brag to Marcel about all the cool stuff he missed."

"Tybur is the family that helped King Fritz, right? Aren't you guys also Eldians? Then where's your armband?" Eren asks Willy.

"It's because they're Honorary Marleyans. C'mon, the sooner we get back, the sooner we can eat lunch," Porco says. He impatiently tugs at Eren's scarf, clearly no longer interested in this.

"Oh! So we're allowed to do it, too!"

Eren reaches for his armband and is immediately stopped by both Porco and Magath. Porco finally released Eren's scarf, though.

"The case is different with you guys," Magath says firmly.

"But we're both Honorary Marleyans, are we not?" Eren asks. "I do not understand."

Okay, fine. He's pushing a little more than he should. But he thinks it's his right. No matter what pretty words the Marleys say, it all returns to the fact that their system is set up to keep Eldians at the bottom. Isn't that the reason why Kruger (and the Eldian Restorationists) decided the only way to change the system is by destroying the world (Because surely they've already tried every other option possible before arriving on this one)?

He wants to know if Magath is the type of man who recognizes injustice and can call it out, even if it puts him in a negative light.

"But we haven't accomplished anything as a Warrior Candidate. Why should our status be the same as the heroes that saved the world?" Pieck says, a tight smile on her face.

A warning. She's giving him a warning to shut up here and now. Colt by her side looks nervous, silently imploring Eren to stop here. He feels bad for what he's going to say next.

Just not enough to stop.

"But it was a single Warhammer Titan. Not the entire family that saved the world. How come we honor just Helos as a statue outside but the entire family line of Tybur gets celebrated? By that logic, then if we, as members of the Warrior Division, also save the world, then all of our families should be given the same status as the Tyburs."

Porco lets out a soft gasp. Did he just follow that train of thought? No wonder Marcel goes out of his way to keep Porco within arm's distance. He's so slow...

"Eren, just shut-"

Pieck's words are cut off by Magath's snort. They all stare at their commander, who raises a cold brow at them.

"You think you can accomplish something like that?" comes the laughing question.

Eren feels his mouth close with a clack. He can't come up with a coherent response to that mocking gaze. Although he started this as a test to learn more about Magath, he feels like all he learned is how inadequate he is instead.

Pieck tilts her head to the side as if realizing something. Yeah, yeah. He knows that he messed up. You don't have to give him that look.

How frustrating.

Despite having been given this chance to start over, he is still as incompetent as ever. No wonder Ymir decided to side against him.

*

"If you have no further dumb questions, we're heading back," Magath says.

Porco tugs Eren's hand (Finally! Leave that stupid scarf alone, Porco!) to pull him along. Although Eren wants to childishly lash out that he doesn't need Porco to watch over him like this, he feels that he lost the right to demand that.

"Too bad we didn't get to see the special Hizuru exhibit," Colt says lightly, probably his attempt at soothing the mood.

"I-if you want, y-you can see it. I-it would be a shame to miss it after coming here."

Willy is lucky that he's looking at the ground. He misses the pinched expression on Pieck's face and the panicked one on Colt's. What do they think will possibly happen for them to make those faces?

"Eren, the commander said we're leaving," Pieck reminds him disapprovingly.

... Are they making those faces at him? Whua... He's not that irresponsible! Not to mention when exactly did he make it look like he wants to stay here? Why are they picking on him for?!

"But if we see the exhibit, Marcel would be _super_ jealous..."

Eren slowly turns to Porco, who honestly looks torn about this decision. See? Why aren't they aiming those looks at him? It's clearly Porco who wants to stay! This is... this is unfair!

"A-and... w-we didn't finish our game," Willy adds softly.

This time, he peeks shyly at Eren. What part of Eren isn't part of this did he not understand? Why must he drag Eren's name in the mud like this?

"Sir," Porco says seriously, "It would be too cruel to leave the game unfinished. Please allow us one more hour to look at the new exhibit!"

Hey, are they playing or looking at the exhibit?

Magath shrugs. "Do as you will. After this, you are dismissed to go home for the day."

So there's no pressure to return? Did Magath time this so they could get back for lunch? That means as long as they can stave off their own hunger, they're allowed to stay as long as they want, right?

"Willy, do you know a good place to get lunch afterwards?" Eren asks.

"No, no, no. As soon as you guys are done here, you are all going home. No detours, Eren," Magath cuts.

Tch. If he's going to be nice, he should be nice the whole way through.

"Let's focus on the exhibit first!" Colt says. He lightly touches Eren's shoulder with an excited grin. "I can't wait to see it!"

* * *

Porco doubts that Eren remembers, but once upon a time, they made a joke about this. It was after a mistake that almost cost them the mission (They didn't fail. Of course not. They're Warrior Candidates. They don't fail). The Warriors Candidates were frustrated by Magath's harsh words, even if they knew that it was deserving. So they de-stressed by talking of different ways to make Magath suffer.

It was dumb things, really. Stuff like switching out Magath's water flask with piss, putting dog poop in his shoes, embarrassing him in front of the other division leaders... Stuff they would never do but were pretty fun to imagine.

"What if we convince him to take us to a Marleyan museum?" Eren said at the time with a mischievous smirk.

Pieck thought that was the coolest thing ever (She denies it when you point that out to her, though). But Porco was of the opinion that that was stupid. Not to mention, who the hell wants to look at bunch of boring dead things? They can do that plenty when out on missions. And if that's not enough, there's plenty of museums they can look at while out. Granted, those would be a little broken from when the pure titans and the Warriors ran through town, but you can't be picky when you're an Eldian.

Porco will like to offer her an apology for his thoughtlessness back then. It's definitely much cooler than he thought it would be, and he now understands the reason for the excitement.

There was a section at the front of the museum that was blocked off. No surprise, that's where the special exhibit is hidden. There's a hallway that leads to a special room that's supposed to hold the special technology from Hizuru. The hallway itself is boring. It has large photos of cameras and just as large blocks of texts that explains the significance of cameras and how they work.

"If I wanted to read and look at pictures, I'd just read a book," he grumbles.

"Yeah, seriously. I would've liked it if they put cameras out for us to play with," Eren sighs.

"Of course, you would," Pieck says, shaking her head. "But you guys forget the most important thing."

The two of them turn to her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"We're on the way to the exhibit. This is here to get us hyped."

When she phrases it like that, Porco realizes that he has been too naive. If there are all these photos and descriptions of cameras, then what must be waiting for them must be... something really cool! He's not too sure what, but it has to be.

"Then it has to be something related to cameras and photos!" Colt surmises.

Pieck nods, looking satisfied. Porco would just like to point out that Colt said what was obvious. They all knew that and wasn't waiting on Colt to say it because they can't think or whatever. Pieck's opinion of them is so low...

Eren taps his chin, thoughtfully looking at the photos they pass by. "Something related to this... Oh! Maybe something that can capture voices!"

"You mean a recording?" Porco points out.

Eren frowns. "Oh, right. Those already exists... Oh! What about something like the radio except for photos? You take a picture here and automagically, it goes poof and appears on the other end to whoever has the receiver! If you can share views like that, going on missions would be easier."

"But that would require photos to be transmittable through the air like sound. If Hizuru discovered something that big, I doubt it'd be displayed in a museum without much fanfares. It'll be something huge that they'd want to keep secret," Pieck reasons.

"Then a step down from that...?"

"Hey, hurry up," Magath tells them at the end of the hallway. He and Willy are waiting for the four of them to catch up.

Surprisingly, their commander seems the most excited out of all of them. Porco is wise enough to not say anything about it, but it looks like Eren left common sense at home today.

"So you were looking forward to seeing this as well, Commander Magath!"

Porco "accidentally" steps on Eren's foot to shut him up.

*

There are three cylindrical objects set up in the room. No matter how Porco looks at them, he doesn't really get the appeal. Pieck and Colt seem to be reading the descriptions on the wall, but Porco's not really about reading, you know?

Willy motions for Eren and Porco to approach one of the cylinders. "You look through this peephole."

Eren and Porco both move and collide into each other. Since Porco is the cool and mature of the two, he takes a step back for Eren to go first. Once Eren is set, Willy gives the cylinder a sharp tug, making it spin around. Porco has no idea what Eren can see, but it must be awesome given the soft gasp and excited squeal he lets out. He looks up from the peephole and grins widely at Porco.

"You have to look at this! It's so cool!"

Now it should be noted that Eren said those exact lines about a lot of things since he lost his memories. So Porco doesn't exactly trust his sense of "cool." But it's not like Porco came this far to not look at the exhibit. He just means that he doesn't have that high of an expectation.

To be honest, even if he had higher expectations, he doubts he would have been able to predict the trick before his eyes. There's a man walking inside of the peephole. It's nothing fancy. Just lift one leg, put it down, pick up the other one, put it down, and repeat. But the man moves forward as if there is a tiny man inside of the peephole. It's not until the cylinder starts slowing down that Porco starts seeing the flaws.

"Are these... photos?" Porco asks as he forces himself to look away from the peephole.

"Yup! By putting still photos of similar movement together and spinning it in this wheel, the photos together start moving! It's just a trick of the light, but isn't this really cool?" Willy asks.

Porco is not afraid to say that it is, in fact, most definitely really cool.

"Can you imagine what you can do with something like this?" Eren giggles. "You won't have to rely on written word and a photo to convey information. You can record it with multiple photos that can be played like you saw it yourself. Research would be so much easier if Squad Leader Hange had this!"

Who?

Before he can ask, Eren runs for the other cylinder. "What does this one show?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop running?" Magath scolds.

But Porco doesn't miss that he's also taking the time to look into the peepholes, too. Although Marcel would argue and say that Porco's the most socially inept of the three of them, he at least has enough sense not to point that out to Magath's face. Honestly, just because he lost his memory once, Eren's been getting a lot of free passes when it comes to showing respect. Porco should have a talk with him about that.

"Sir, thank you for taking us to see these! You're the best!" Eren tells Magath brightly.

Magath's expression turns to that of disgust. "We're not taking one of these with us."

"I-I didn't even suggest such an awesome idea! You brought that up, not me!"

Despite those words, Eren leans forward towards Magath with excited eyes. It's clear to all of them watching exactly what he wants.

"Eren sure has gotten bolder, hasn't he?" Colt says softly next to Porco.

"He probably figured it out," Pieck says.

She must think herself so mysterious and cool, speaking so vaguely like that. No wonder she and Marcel never get along. Both of them are the exact same type of nasty.

"Figured what out?" Porco asks.

Pieck makes a small motion towards Magath who looks a second away from rubbing his temples at Eren's antics in trying to bring one of the cylinders back with them.

"For the next 13 years, we're going to be able to get away with basically anything."

Porco feels like that she said something blasphemous, but he doesn't really have the vocabulary to express himself. He'll just file this away as something to bring up to Marcel later. If there's one thing that's unnerving him, it's the look on Willy's face as if he overheard what Pieck said.

*

Porco isn't a jealous person by any stretch of the imagination (Okay, maybe just a tiny bit), but he really doesn't like the fact that Willy just grabbed Eren by the red scarf. That's Porco's thing. Not to mention Eren hates it when someone grabs him by the scarf. That's why Porco swallowed his pride and held Eren's hand instead. But this guy thinks he can just waltz up here and-

"N-next time there's a special exhibit, l-let's play tag again," he says softly to Eren.

Yeah, not going to happen. There's no way that Magath will let them come here again after how much trouble they... Okay, Eren caused.

"It doesn't have to be a special exhibit to play. Just come by the headquarter. Or if you want, we'll stop by your place."

Hey Eren, who are you including in that "we?"

Willy beams. "I'm going to hold you to that promise!"

And what right does a Tybur have demanding anything more from them? Porco isn't sure if this intense feeling of frustration and annoyance is aimed directly at Willy or his family status. Probably the latter, right? Because it really is unfair that the Tybur family gets to enjoy their Honorary Marleyan status without ever having to do dirty work. All they do is quietly keep their heads down and Marley will always leave them alone.

This, by the way, isn't something new that Porco has just come to the conclusion of. It most definitely wasn't because Eren pointed it out earlier that Porco realized it. Shut up. He's not that stupid.

"C'mon, Eren. Let's go," Porco grumbles, pulling Eren behind him.

"E-erm... Y-you're invited, too, of course," Willy quickly adds. "Tag is more fun when there's a lot of people."

... Okay, maybe Willy isn't that bad of a person.

* * *

"Now that you've seen a lightbulb, you're going to stop climbing streetlamps," Theo tells Eren.

That blank look on Eren's face does not bode well. "But that's a normal lightbulb, sir. I want the one in the streetlamp."

Theo doesn't have to do the math to know that getting this child a stupid lightbulb from a streetlamp will be stupidly easy. But it's the principle of the matter. If he gives in and hands the lightbulb over, then it'll be too clear to everyone that Theo is obviously favoring Eren. While that is true, he mustn't show his cards too soon. That will cause this tool to become more useless than he is now.

"What about this? Hand over your Honorary Marleyan status, and I'll consider getting one for you."

It goes to show just how lax Theo's treatment of Eren is if this child is unafraid to pout at him.

"You're so stingy! I bet you've never had a lover."

What the hell does that have to do with anything, you damned brat?

No surprise, Porco elbows Eren to stop speaking. Theo wishes Porco would move faster to stop Eren from speaking instead of reacting to Eren's words. But he supposes that's just what he gets for not bringing Marcel along.

"O-oh! The carriage is here!" Colt says quickly, trying to distract them.

Just this once, Theo will overlook it.

*

Theo thought that due to the hunger, none of the children would be able to fall asleep. But the minute they get on the carriage, Porco and Eren fall fast asleep, both using Colt's shoulders on either side as pillow. Colt sits rigidly, staring at Theo as if waiting for the death sentence. Pieck looks out the window without seeming care.

"Once we return, make sure these two go straight home without any detours," Theo tells Colt and Pieck.

"Y-yes sir!" Colt squeaks out at the same time Pieck smoothly says, "Yes sir."

Both of them have spent the same amount of time with Theo, yet their reactions are always so different. Does it still scare Colt to be in the presence of Marleyans? That will prove to be annoying in the future.

An uncomfortable silence fills the carriage. Theo can't believe he would rather Eren be awake, even if it means he'd say something crazy.

"Erm... s-sir, may I speak...?" Colt surprises him by requesting.

Theo makes a motion as permission.

"T-thank you for bringing us here. I-it was very informative and... er... f-fun. B-but er... are you sure you don't want us to turn in a report?"

Please, don't turn his good deed into paperwork.

"As I've said, I don't want to read it," Theo repeats.

Colt nods uncertainly. He looks like he wants to say something else but seems to lose courage. Theo considers letting him speak up but then changes his mind. If Colt finds it that important, he'll say it.

"Sir, may I ask why you brought us here today?" Pieck asks.

To be honest, Theo was hoping that Eren would ask that. But it looks like Eren is fast asleep with no care to what's going on around him. How the hell is this kid so lax in the presence of his commander? No sense of danger, this one. Well, that's just fine. It looks like Porco is stirring from the sound of talking around him. He'll tell Eren (and probably Marcel, too).

"Are you aware of how the Warrior Division came to be currently?"

The two begin to nod but then stop. Colt glances at Pieck, who shakes her head no. "Please enlighten us."

Clever as always. Would rather let Theo talk to extract information than to make assumptions. That's the level-headed judgement that Theo wants.

"The previous commander was a lazy idiot. Instead of coming up with strategies, he left everything to the Attack Titan's predictions. His motto was 'As long as we remain victorious, it doesn't matter what we do.'"

It wasn't just laziness and stupidity, not that Theo would ever admit that part to bunch of Eldians. That commander was a commander only in title. All he ever did was signed forms and gave the Marleyan stamp of approval for whatever the Warriors wished to do. He gave bunch of Eldians power that they should have never tasted. "It was the Attack Titan's prediction" became their excuse of getting out of any form of responsibility.

"In order to uproot that corrupt way of thought, I came up with the Young Warriors Program."

And if things had worked out back then, it wouldn't be children who are inheriting titans now. It would be young adults Zeke's age, all trained to think and move as tools should. But the minute Theo proposed the program, he was met with anger and disbelief on all sides.

_"The hell would we use something as faulty as Eldian children when we have plenty of volunteers? The 'Honorary Marleyan' title? Why would we ever hand that over? Magath, you're out of your mind!"_

Those who were out of their mind were actually the rest of the Marleyan high command. How dare they parade around the heroism of Helos and "Marleyan" military might while hiding behind Eldian titans? No wonder these so-called Warriors became so self-important. They came to understand that their power is vital for Marleyan success. So they learned to poison their sweet words to get everything want.

"There was a lot of resistance from those who hated change and those who believed giving the Honorary Marleyan title was too much. They went out of their way to sabotage the program, including spreading some vicious lies about what Warriors are expected to do. I won't be shocked if those rumors are still circulating."

From the way Pieck flinches, he knows his guess is spot on. Damned idiots. Still spreading those rumors, huh?

"What I need from each of you isn't just to follow any Marleyan orders perfectly. I need you to grow and learn to adapt to the situation before you for the success of the mission. For that, I need all of you to learn. Not just the hard facts of the world, but also how to behave in a way that's befitting of the Warrior Division."

Yup, Porco is definitely awake. That's good. Even without having to repeat himself later, these three will serve to spread the word. As long as Eren gets these words, Theo will be satisfied.

"With that in mind, I chose each of your paths forward for you. Colt, you have a good sense of balance and duty. But you have a tendency to choke at the critical moment due to your lack of confidence. In the next thirteen years, I want you to focus on working on that by building a steady foundation. You have already proven your loyalty to me. Without worrying about taking the wrong step, I want you to switch your focus to the mission. Small mishaps will happen. Learn to shake that off for the bigger picture."

Colt gulps audibly and nods.

"Pieck, out of all the titans, the Cart requires the most amount of precision and judgement, especially since it doesn't have as much offensive capability. You'll have to figure out for yourself how best to accomplish a mission, even if I don't give you explicit orders."

"Is... it safe for me to believe that I won't be doing anything outside of mission work?" Pieck asks. "That is, will I be expected to... to e-entertain the male audience?"

As Theo suspected. That disgusting piece of rumor has been flying around again. No matter. He'll just turn it into his advantage.

"Pieck, did you not hear a word I said? Do you or do you not have a brain? All you need to worry about is accomplishing the mission. Anyone that dares to distract you from it or tell you otherwise can be ignored. If they try to argue, bring them to me. I'll take care of them personally."

Hah. Look at that. She's sitting straight and looking at Theo like he's a hero. How stupidly naive. But that's exactly the reason why it had to be children. They're easily shaped into the tools he'll need without unnecessarily greed and politics.

This is his division now.

Anyone not loyal to his cause (he doesn't need them to be loyal to Marley. That's useless. He needs tools that will obey him without question) will be discarded. For his own ambitions and dreams, he will change the current Marleyan structure.

He will reclaim their Marleyan pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "So? What was 'Eren Jaeger' like?"
> 
> Willy can't help but to grin widely at the question. Despite acting so aloof, it seems Lara does want to know more about Eren. She must have realized how she comes across because she gives him an exasperated look.
> 
> "I'm just humoring you so you'll leave me alone."
> 
> She can say that all she wants, but Willy knows the truth. Of course, she's interested. Why wouldn't a Tybur be interested in the Warrior Division, especially given the ages of the newly appointed future Warriors.
> 
> "As a person, I like him. He was very friendly and open-minded. But as a Warrior Candidate, he fails. He had no sense of danger and blatantly disregarded his Marleyan commander. No wonder he's not going to be inheriting a titan."
> 
> Lara sighs, disappointed. "A typical case of the adults over-blowing things again."
> 
> "But as a friend, I think he'll be fun. So I think it's going to be awesome that we'll have guaranteed 13 more years with him."
> 
> "Willy, what use do we have for an Eldian friend?"
> 
> Although her words are harsh, he sees her hesitate. They may be Eldians, but that doesn't mean that they aren't children. The other Marleyans in the neighborhood keep them at an arm's distance at best. But they've also wanted to join in on tag and other games that they've seen other kids play. 
> 
> "I asked dad if we could invite the Warrior Candidates over to play. I doubt he'd say yes, but Eren said it's okay if we stop by the headquarter."
> 
> Lara frowns. "No one's going to approve of us going."
> 
> "That's only if we ask for approval first," Willy reminds her lightly.
> 
> The stern look on his sister's face cracks with the beginnings of a grin.
> 
> "We're going to get in so much trouble!" she giggles.
> 
> Willy is rather looking forward to it.


	16. if i was a writer, i would do more with Annie, i lie as i yet again forget her existence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You guys went where?" 
> 
> Marcel's expression is blank. That means he hasn't quite registered everything to be angry yet. Porco finds himself grinning widely despite himself.
> 
> "To the Marleyan museum! We even got to see the special Hizuru exhibit that isn't open to the public yet. And get this! They figured out how to photograph motion! I tried to convince Commander Magath to let us have one of the devices, but he's being stupidly difficult. So I figured we should just make it ourselves," Eren concludes as he picks up a cardboard box from the storage room of the headquarter.
> 
> "Huh? Wait. I don't remember hearing about this," Porco rushes to protest. 
> 
> Eren holds the cardboard box up in the air, inspecting it. "Grandpa has a camera that we can borrow. All we'll have to do is take bunch of pictures and put it on this."
> 
> "No, no. The thing in the exhibit was cylinder shaped. A cardboard box is... well, it's a box. Your shape is wrong. That box isn't going to spin."
> 
> And Eren dares to call Porco stupid.
> 
> Eren clicks his tongue, looking far too amused. He punches the cardboard box to dent it. Then he holds it up while forcing it to be in a demented but round-ish shape. 
> 
> "Then you put the photos on the inside of this and spin! See? We can make it ourselves."
> 
> That's... er... That's not going to hold that shape while spinning...
> 
> "Ah! That's it!" Marcel exclaims suddenly.
> 
> Both Porco and Eren turn to him. Eren looks excited that Marcel is grinning. But Porco is getting a really bad feeling about this. Any time either of them get this worked up, Porco is doubtlessly the one who will end up with a sore throat for yelling at these two idiots.
> 
> "That's what I should have done!" Marcel says, pointing at the sad looking cardboard.
> 
> "You lost me," Porco tells him.
> 
> "Me too," Eren adds.
> 
> But Marcel just cackles like he's a villain from a story. He throws his arms around Porco's and Eren's shoulders with a leer.
> 
> "I've figured out the riddle. I am fit to be the Jaw Titan's inheritor! Hahaha! Take that!"
> 
> Porco has no idea what his brother is talking about. But at the very least, Eren seems to be in the same boat as him. It's been a very long time since the two of them were on the same wavelength.
> 
> How pathetic of him to feel so happy about this little.

"So what's the cardboard box for?" Zeke asks, looking at the three of them with an amused smile.

Before Eren can explain himself, the traitorous brothers rush to complain.

"We went to a museum today-"

"I didn't get to go. This isn't fair!"

"- and Eren here won't think about how much it costs to make pictures-"

"A cardboard box isn't going to be cylindrical, no matter how much you punch it."

Then together, they both shout, "Please stop him!"

Zeke's lips twitch in clear amusement. But he plays it cool. "Eren, what's going on?"

What a great way to phrase that. It's not accusing or siding with anyone. It's just a question of fact. No wonder Zeke is so well-loved. Eren excitedly tells him of the events of today and the reason why he has this battered cardboard box in his hands, ignoring both Porco's and Marcel's own injections of their wrong beliefs.

"I see, you guys went to..." Zeke's eyes are wide in alarm as it registers what he just heard. He stammers for a bit before he manages out, "W-wait. Wait. What?! A museum? Y-you mean the Marleyan one? Magath was okay with this?

For someone who is good at keeping his calm, he also loses it really fast like this. Zeke's such a dork. Is he going to be okay with leading the Warrior Division when Magath isn't around?

"Yeah. Pieck asked the other day if we could go, and he took us today. He's really partial to Pieck, isn't he? He complimented her a lot on the way back, too."

"He complimented Colt, too. Don't make it sound so creepy," Porco reminds Eren.

"I think the commander is a lot softer than he lets on," Eren concludes. "He just didn't get a lot of love as a kid, so he always end up coming across as prickly, you know? Because he doesn't know how to express himself."

"Eren, please never say that to the Commander or any other Marleyans."

Huh? What's wrong with saying the truth? But it's not just Zeke who looks alarmed. Both Porco and Marcel are giving him worried looks.

"I-is it insulting?" Eren asks.

"Eren, you have to be more careful. You don't know when something you say might be taken the wrong way. Sometimes, it's better to not say anything at all," Zeke says.

Guess it was pretty bad thing to say.

"I guess I got too comfortable. I'll be more careful with what I say," he promises.

"So tell me again about how you're going to make this cardboard into that machine..."

*

"Absolutely not."

Eren's face falls. "Why not, Grandpa?"

"A camera is not a toy, Eren."

"I'll be really careful!" Eren tries. And when that doesn't work, he says, "What if Zeke handles the camera?"

"Sorry, Eren. I don't feel comfortable with that," Zeke tells him honestly.

And there's no way that his grandpa would trust Marcel or Porco. This plan ended up a bust before he could get anywhere with it.

"There, there," Marcel says, struggling to hide his grin.

Porco doesn't have the manners to do that little. He bursts out laughing and hits Eren's back.

"Fine! Then I'll learn how to draw! It won't be as good as Moblit's, but at least it's better than you lot!"

"So what are you going to do with the cardboard box now?" Zeke asks.

Eren stares at the disheveled cardboard for a beat longer. "I don't know yet. But I'm sure a great idea will occur to me."

He pretends that he can't hear their laughter as he pouts at the cardboard box.

* * *

It's all fun and games until his mom returns home from the meeting with the Eldian Restorationists, pale and worried. Even without her saying anything, Zeke understands that this must be about Magath's decision to take four of the Warrior Candidates out to a museum.

"There's just one thing that Marleyan is aiming for. He plans on brainwashing those children into thinking that he's someone to be trusted."

Dina bites her thumb in frustration, seemingly unable to see the irony of her words. But it's not like Zeke doesn't understand where she's coming from. It's the exact same problem he had with the Owl's method of approaching Eren.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Zeke tells her.

She gives him a hesitant smile that doesn't reach her eyes. There's something more that happened. Zeke mentally prepares himself for a news he isn't going to like.

"Eren has... made himself quite well-known, hasn't he?"

Zeke closes his eyes for a second to take a deep breath. Then he opens them to face his mom with what he hopes is a calming smile.

"It's not that he himself changes the future-"

"I heard," she says firmly, cutting him off. "The problem isn't his ability. It's what the Marleys will do to him because of it."

Zeke has no arguments there. Especially not with the museum trip hanging over his head. But he's also not going to dismiss the fact that Owl approached Eren either. The people gathering around Eren seems to want to use him for their own purposes. Zeke wishes there was a way to get his little brother away from here.

"I will keep watch," he repeats.

For a second, it looks like his mom will say more. But she seems to change her mind. She smiles stiffly and nods.

"I'll leave it to you."

*

When the Warrior Program was first enacted, it wasn't ran the way it is now.

There was no initial test to weed out the kids.

Everyone that showed up got to participate in the program as a Warrior Candidate. The Honorary Marleyan title wasn't given at the time, though, because too many children showed up. The official word was that the paperwork would take too long, but Zeke understood that they were probably never going to get it until they were chosen as a Warrior.

If they got it at all.

Zeke lagged behind everyone. There's no nicer way to phrase it. He was physically lacking and emotionally too sensitive to be able to stomach the harsh training and the tongue lashings that came with it. It was true hell back then. He couldn't relax at home due to his parents arguing over how to raise him. He couldn't relax at the headquarter because of the constant berating for being so inadequate.

The only person who made him feel like things were going to be okay was Xaver.

It took him some time. He kept his head down and busted his ass, trying to keep up with everyone. And by the time he felt comfortable enough to look up, he realized with a start that no one else was here.

Everyone else quit the Warrior Division, it turned out.

That, of course, wasn't an option for Zeke. But Magath didn't know that. Zeke still remembers the disgusted sigh Magath let out before officially giving Zeke and his family the Honorary Marleyan title. By then, the divorce went through, so only Dina received it. Zeke assumes that if the divorce wasn't finished at the time, Magath would have waited until it was to minimize who he gave the title to.

With a failure like that, it surprised no one that Magath changed the Young Warriors Program quite a bit. But that doesn't change Magath as a person. No matter what kind of an act Magath put up in front of these new children, Zeke is certain he'll be able to see through it.

He will be able to see through it, right?

"... E-excuse me, sir?" he finds himself sputtering before he can stop himself.

The look of disgust on Magath's face is something that Zeke is accustomed to. The annoyance thick in his voice is something that Zeke has heard often before.

"I'm asking if you have any clue where your brother went."

Yeah, that's what Zeke thought that Magath said. But he's having a hard time believing it. Eren is a careful child. That's just how he was raised, cautiously and lovingly in hopes of preventing something like this from happening. Zeke saw Eren arrive to headquarter this morning with Reiner as always. So he knows for a fact that Eren should be here.

The question is where did Eren go after that?

Marcel's brows are furrowed in anxiety as he fidgets. It's clear that this was his last resort. That means he must have searched all of headquarters from top to bottom before he went to Magath for help. And Eren still couldn't be found...?

"I'm sorry. I can't think of where he would go," Zeke admits.

Magath lets out a frustrated sigh. "Damn that brat. Where the hell did he go with the others? I sent out a few men to watch over the streetlamps-"

Eren, why is this the commander's opinion of you?

"- but that's not going to be enough if he got everyone entangled in something."

Immediately, Zeke finds himself thinking of Owl. Now that he stops to think about it, he never asked Eren how the two of them met. Did Owl approach Eren outside of the interment zone? That's the only way to make sure that no Eldian would ever be able to spread rumors. But that brings up a rather terrifying question about the Owl's identity.

"Ah!" Marcel exclaims.

It snaps Zeke out of his thought enough to focus on the present.

"N-now that I think about it, during the weekend, we had a bit of a trivia quiz competition. A-and... Eren said it would be cool if we could see the animals at the zoo..."

Magath's expression turns thunderous. He doesn't say anything to them and turns to leave. Zeke has no doubts that their commander is giving a different order to those still here.

"That doesn't sound like somewhere Eren would go on a whim, though," Xaver points out with a frown. "Is there anywhere else you can think of he might have gone with the others?"

It's that "with the others" part that's tripping Zeke. Logically speaking, Owl should not approach Eren when Eren is with Colt, Porco, and Pieck. That would be too many variables for their typically elusive leader. But it's not like Eren to walk off from headquarters with no prior warning with the rest of the group in tow. Something had to have happened. Zeke just isn't sure what that "something" is.

Magath returns with two men trailing after him.

"Change of plans. We're entertaining a Tybur. Zeke, with me. Xaver, feel free to return to your research. Marcel, find those damned brats. Tell them I'll take them to the zoo myself. Just get them to behave and return to the classroom for now."

If Zeke wasn't so caught off-guard by Magath's promise to take the kids to the zoo, he would have been more concerned by the sudden appearance of a Tybur. It's too coincidental for this to not have something to do with Eren's own disappearance. But right now, Zeke is too distracted by the commander.

"T-the zoo, sir?" he asks.

Because that's a lie, right? Magath is just saying that to get the kids back but has no real intentions of following through, right?

"I would need you to come with. The rest of the kids are more or less well-behaved. But your brother?"

Eren is a sweet child! Zeke resents that. "I beg to differ."

"We'll talk later. For now, let's focus on the Tybur."

*

Zeke has heard of the Tybur family head in passing but has never met him in person. How could he? The Tybur family keeps to themselves and very rarely gets involved in the outside world. So why is he here? To congratulate the Warrior Candidates? Laughable. Why would the head of Tybur concern himself with something like that when he hasn't been involved in any Eldian business before?

They are led to one of the meeting rooms. There are three men already in there. Tybur, a man who looks to be his butler, and a soldier who seems to be brewing tea for everyone. Tybur is the only one seated at the table, waiting for Magath.

Magath sits on the opposite side of him, his two men standing behind him. Zeke moves to stand in the corner of the room to observe how this will turn out. Tybur glances at him and then at the armband, before turning his attention to Magath and his men. It's such a typical Marleyan response that Zeke can't help but to feel bitter. While normal Eldians have to suffer the humiliation of these armbands, the Tybur family get to live as actual Marleyans.

"I should start with an apology," Tybur says calmly.

He pushes a letter over towards Magath. The one to reach for the letter isn't Magath, though. One of his men takes it and reads it first. From the way his expression goes from confusion to disbelief to anger, Zeke gets an inkling of a feeling that he might have an idea what this might be about. Magath's man wordlessly hands the letter to Magath while glaring at Tybur, who has received a cup of tea to sip on.

After a bit of staring at the letter, Magath rubs his temples. He surprisingly makes a motion for Zeke to take the letter next. Then he turns to Tybur with a scowl on his face.

"I don't like games. Make your point before I accuse you of kidnapping."

Tybur nods and puts the tea cup down. "As I've said, I will first like to apologize for my children's actions..."

Zeke filters the rest of the words out as background noise to read the letter. It's written in a neat little handwriting. Zeke is a little impressed by it. The letter seems to have been written by one of Tybur's children, who explains that her brother has decided to go out to play with the Warrior Candidates for the day. It also requests at least an hour for them to play around, promising that everyone will be returned then. So that's what happened. That's why Tybur is here and that's why Eren disappeared.

"... would like to request that we give them until noon to return here on their own," Tybur concludes.

Zeke isn't shocked to hear Magath snort.

"And why should I reward bad behavior of my Warrior Candidates on a whim of an Eldian?"

Tybur smiles like a statue. Unfeeling and unmoving. Like a smile that's been carved in space that just happened to be his face. Something that means absolutely nothing. That much, Zeke will give is an Eldian mannerism.

"I heard that the Warrior Division is always on the lookout for more funding. This small amount I've brought today is as an apology for my children's actions. I am, of course, offering more for future possible... play dates, shall we call them?"

With such words, he pushes across another envelope towards Magath.

"If you're looking for a babysitter, go somewhere else. The interment zone is filled to the brim with children like these," Magath says. He doesn't bother to glance at the envelope nor does he allow his men to touch it.

"Then give me Eren Jaeger."

Zeke doesn't know what kind of expression he made for Tybur to glance in his direction, startled. It makes Magath give Zeke a warning look. Then Magath turns his attention back to Tybur, who seems to be trying to calm himself down with the tea.

"It seems you've misunderstood something, so let me see if I can clarify it for you. These Warrior Candidates and Warriors are weapons. This isn't a matter of question of money. It's your questionable conduct of yours, demanding a gun for your children to play with."

How surprising. Zeke didn't think Magath cared that much about children to cite morality if it meant he could secure extra funding for the division. Then there has to be another layer to this. Either Magath thinks that he can squeeze more money out of Tybur than what is being offered, or (more likely) Magath doesn't want any outsiders to influence these kids' thinking. Pure brainwashing, if you will.

"I appreciate your child-raising advice, even if you are someone who has never married and has never had a child of your own," comes the fake polite response. "Then I'll rephrase so that it's honest. I do not believe the Warrior Division has the necessary security measures to protect someone with the ability to change the Attack Titan's prediction. Furthermore, raising him together with the next Attack Titan is a poor plan. What are you going to do if he unknowingly changes predictions that mustn't be changed? It makes more sense to keep them apart until a prediction requires changing."

For that reason, he proposed something as ridiculous as buying Eren? The audacity...

"And where was this interest when I first started the Young Warriors Program?" Magath asks. "Where was this offer of funding, this support? Unlike you, I've been by these children's sides since the beginning. I know how they work, and believe me when I say that Eren is the type to react horribly to something like that."

Well, Magath isn't wrong. Zeke just feels frustrated that a Marleyan knows his brother this well. If Magath could figure this much out, then how much can someone else with good observation skills?

"Your dedication is commendable, Commander. However, that still does not address my other concern of his well-being. How he would react to things is secondary compared to making sure that he stays alive," Tybur counters.

What pretty words coming from a man who never had to fight to live another day.

Magath's smirk makes it clear that he doesn't take anything out of Tybur's mouth seriously. "Alright. Then let's hear it. What is your so-called brilliant plan that will keep Eren safe from himself and other threats?"

Can Magath not phrase it so it sounds like Eren is a danger to himself, even if it's true at times?

"The most important thing would be to stop parading around his importance. If that information gets into the hands of our enemies, that child will become the most vulnerable target. I assume you chose against having him inherit a titan in hopes of extending his life beyond that of 13 years. But that also comes with the downside of not having titan healing. At minimum, you'd have to stop taking him on missions-"

"And how exactly is he supposed to change the outcome of a bad prediction on a mission if he's not there?" Magath points out. "Your plans are short-sighted."

"But you said so yourself that this power can work as an influencer. It doesn't have to be there physically to change the prediction. This is the safest way to keep it for as long as possible."

Zeke hates the way Tybur refers to Eren as his ability and not as a human. As a fellow Eldian, shouldn't that be the least that Tybur can do? And he wants them to trust him with Eren's well-being? Not a chance.

"Sounds great in theory. How are you going to entice a wild animal to stay inside a cage for its own good?" Magath asks.

Then again, it's not like Zeke likes the way Magath phrases it either.

"He'll understand as long as we explain-"

Magath clicks his tongue. "You ever talk to wild animals? How are you going to 'explain' to one?"

Tybur seems to understand that this isn't working. He pauses to take a sip of his tea. Recalculating, Zeke supposes. But he doubts that there's much that Tybur can say or do to change the situation. Magath isn't going to change his mind. Zeke is sure that his mom is right and that it's in order to control the kids better, but if it'll keep Tybur away from his little brother, he'll take this hell.

"Alright. I'll bite. Then what do you plan on doing that will guarantee this child's safety?" Tybur asks.

"Despite being a father, you don't know much about children, do you? The more you coddle them, the more they'll believe they're vulnerable. You want to keep them safe? Let them play. Let them see the world and grow."

It sounds almost like Magath is considering Eren as a child. Zeke isn't sure how to feel about that.

Tybur opens his mouth but is interrupted by the door slamming open.

"Commander! We have located the Warrior Candidates! They're injured, so we've called for a doctor. We'll brief you on the way."

... Injured...?

Magath stands up without any sign of worry. "Zeke, fetch your father. I'll leave someone here to direct you where to go. Tybur, stay here. I'll bring your children back."

Without waiting for any answer, Magath leaves.

"Is he always like this?" Tybur asks Zeke.

Zeke knows that he's being petty, but he can't quite forgive this man for his comments about Eren. So he smiles like he's an idiot with nothing in his head but flowers.

"Excuse me, I have an order to follow."

He cackles mentally at the look of sheer disgust and annoyance on Tybur's face. Even if it's childish, a victory is still a victory.

* * *

"Let's spar," were the wonderful words that greeted Eren when he walked into the classroom early this morning.

"Can't. I have to read," Eren tried in hopes that it'll deter Annie's determined glare.

"Don't be silly. How can you focus on reading if your body is jittery?"

Eren motioned to himself and said, "But I'm not jittery."

Annie, by the way, took that to mean that it was fine to hit him. And when he moved to dodge, she pointed and said that that was proof that he was jittery. Instead of siding with Eren, Porco laughed and said that it was unmanly to refuse a spar. Which, of course, meant that both Colt and Pieck sided with Porco.

All of that, Eren thinks makes perfect logical sense.

What he can't figure out is where these two children came from and why do they have to entertain them by the riverside?

"Aren't we going to get in trouble for this?" he points out.

"Don't worry about it!" Willy says with a bright smile. "Pieck, if you will?"

Pieck nods seriously and motions at first to Annie. "In this corner, we have our avenging challenger, Annie! Will she be able to reclaim her throne that was so unfairly snatched away from her?"

Favoritism much?

"And on this corner!" Pieck motions at Eren. "Our one-time defending champion, Eren! He is a dark horse that normally would never have made it this far if not for the help of some great fortune! Will his luck continue to bless him? Or will he go home the loser he is?"

Hey, at least pretend to have some form of fairness.

"Now, before the game begins, place your bets!"

"Three acorns that Annie will knock Eren off his feet," Colt declares, proudly showing off the acorns he worked hard to find.

Eren thought it was weird that they spent quite a bit walking around the riverside before they started this spar. They were looking for things to bet, huh? On one hand, Eren is glad that it's not money, but is this really any better?

"Pfft. Amateur. I found two crystals and a button. I bet it all on Annie," Porco brags.

No matter how Eren looks at it, those are all pebbles. Children sure have a great sense of imagination.

"I-I think you can win, Eren!" Willy shouts. "It's not m-much, but I found a shiny metal!"

That's a crumpled up food wrapper. What was the term? Tin foil? Doesn't it smell?

"I'll just watch for today," Lara says sensibly.

She stays quiet by Willy's side, watching the rest of them with careful eyes. It doesn't look like she's going to be dangerous to them, but Eren isn't going to pass judgement yet. They are Tyburs, after all. They're known for their isolation. The fact that they keep approaching the Warrior Candidates makes Eren uneasy.

"Alright! All the bets are in. Annie, Eren, are you two ready?" Pieck asks.

"If you lose on purpose, I'll break Reiner's favorite toy," Annie promises Eren.

Is Reiner the easiest target that everyone goes for? Even Armin defended himself when it came to bullies. It was only when the bullying got especially bad (like stealing Armin's family two-week rations and refusing to return it) that Eren and Mikasa jumped in. Otherwise, Armin could take care of himself. Isn't Reiner way too pathetic by himself? Eren bets that if their moms didn't know each other, the Eren of this world wouldn't have bothered with Reiner.

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll take it seriously."

"Then begin!" Pieck yells.

*

In case anyone forgot, Eren would just like to remind everyone that he is nearly a decade older than these kids before him. The Annie that he was used to training and sparring with had nearly a decade's worth of experience and time to hone her technique. No matter how great the tiny Annie before him is, she can't compare to that Annie.

"Best out of three!" Annie snaps. "This isn't over!"

Eren sighs. "But you said you wanted me to take it seriously. If you're just going to be a sore loser, I don't want to keep doing this."

Annie's lips pull into a dissatisfied frown, but she doesn't push the topic anymore. Eren finds himself relaxing.

"Now that that's over, let's just-"

"Best out of three!" Porco yells. "Eren, stop being a wimp and fight again!"

... Whose side is this guy on again?

"I-if you want the button and the crystals back-"

Porco shakes his head, interrupting Willy. "I lost that fair and square. I don't want it back. I want to see Eren get his ass handed to him."

"Your personality's nasty," Eren tells him.

"Nuh-uh! That's Marcel."

Pieck makes a show of pretending to think. Then she snaps her fingers.

"I got it! Let's go exploring the riverside!"

Porco gives her a look. "What does that have anything to do with sparring?"

"We can watch Annie and Eren fight any time. But it's rare that we hang out like this by the riverside. Besides, didn't you promise that you'd play tag with Willy?"

At the sound of his name, Willy flinches. He blushes pink and giggles sheepishly, but it's clear to everyone that he's really happy that they remembered. It really doesn't feel like they mean any harm. And although Eren thinks that they should be heading back to the headquarter, he would end up feeling too guilty if he forces all of them to go back now.

"Then I'll be it!" Eren offers. "Everyone start running!"

*

Of course, Eren runs for Porco first. But Porco apparently knew it was coming, because he side-steps Eren and grabs the red scarf.

"Don't pull on that!" Eren snaps.

Porco laughs. "Make me!"

Eren isn't an idiot. If he tries to pull his scarf free from Porco's grasp, it's going to stretch it even more. Then what should he do about getting himself free?

"If you don't let go, we can't play."

It never ceases to surprise Eren what these kids consider a priority. Porco immediately lets the scarf go and makes a motion for Eren to chase him again. From that knowing grin, it's clear that he thinks that Eren can't catch him. He can, by the way. He just thinks it won't be fair to the rest of the kids if he stays on one target for too long.

That's all.

"I'll get you later!" he promises.

Then he runs for Colt.

*

"There you guys are!"

Marcel looks livid when he finds them. He tackles Eren down, which is really unfair because everyone else is still having fun. By then, Pieck is it and is struggling to tag anyone around her. It's not shocking at all that she would stop to look at Marcel and Eren.

"You guys are so not fair! I want to play, too! Take me next time!" Marcel yells.

No matter how mature Marcel seems, it doesn't change the fact that he is a child in the end. Eren can't help but to laugh.

"Pieck's it!"

Those words are more than enough of a warning, it appears. Marcel pulls Eren up and the two of them dodge a pouting Pieck. 

"Thanks for the warning."

"Did the Jaw Titan give you a break?" Eren asks him.

"Yup! I figured out her riddle, so I'm free! So from now on, take me along to these types of things, okay?"

Somehow, Eren gets a strange feeling that refusing isn't an option. Not that he was going to, mind you. But it's just a feeling that he gets.

"Aha! Gotcha!"

Pieck throws her arms around Eren from behind. Any normal time, that would have been fine. It's not like Pieck weighs much to begin with. But Eren was caught off-guard.

He tumbles forward with Pieck on his back. If he tries to forcibly stop their momentum, he'll end up taking the brunt of the force. It'll be better to let them naturally come to a stop. What's a good place...?

Oh, duh.

The river.

He moves to protect Pieck so that at least she doesn't accidentally hurt herself too badly. The water meets his back with a small splash. It's too shallow for the water to have given him any buffer from the rocks below. They dig in harshly into his back but that's much better than having someone's face get smashed into these.

"Eren! Are you alright?" Pieck asks.

"Yup. I'm fine. You?"

She looks uncertainly at him like she doesn't believe that he'll tell her the truth. He doesn't get why. Is she so egotistical to believe that he'll bother lying to her? Everyone always compares her to Marcel saying how they're both so smart, but they are all kids, after all. None of them can compare to Armin.

Even though Marcel was the one who stood right next to Eren when they took the tumble, Porco is the one who gets in the water first. He reaches his hand out for Eren and Pieck. But like hell Eren's going to fall for that one. He knows without a doubt that Porco is going to grab his scarf again.

Eren splashes Porco with the water instead.

"Whua-?! You ass! I'm trying to help you!"

Eren's met with an unnaturally large wave of water. Porco, no doubt. He retaliates by splashing blindly. From the shrieks of laughter, he's certain he got everyone else, too. Soon, they're all just laughing in the water, splashing each other without any care.

It reminds him of a time back in his own world. During one of the training missions as cadets, they happened upon a stream in the middle of the mountains. Connie was the one who jumped in first. He splashed everyone while laughing merrily and challenged anyone who dared to say that he was being immature. He even managed to get Jean, who had been a giant grump the entire ride, to join in on the fun.

How lucky it is that he's in the river, splashed by water.

No one should be able to see his tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are chased out of the water by two Public Security Authorities officers. One of them start with a long-winded lecture about how it is forbidden to take a dip in the water and is stopped by the other one. This second officer, Marcel recognizes. It's the officer that beat him that one time when Eren foolishly tried to save a cat from oncoming traffic. 
> 
> "I would think you Warrior Candidates would know better than to fool around like this when your superiors are looking everywhere for you."
> 
> Oh shoot. Marcel got caught up in the fun that he completely forgot to report back to headquarter. This is his fault. He can't dispute that. But he also doesn't want to get another beating. 
> 
> "What's this? Do your parents know you're playing with Eldi-"
> 
> "Officers, we're bleeding. Do you have a band-aid?"
> 
> Marcel knows for a fact that Eren interrupted that on purpose to take the attention away from those two children over there. Even though he hasn't been introduced to them, he matches the boy's description as the one that Porco gave for "Willy Tybur." The little girl next to him must be related to him somehow. A little sister, perhaps? Is it vital that they protect these two? What a pain. 
> 
> "Eren, I have a band-aid," Marcel says quickly. He comes over to Eren's side and lowers his voice. "I doubt we can shake them."
> 
> "It's fine. Let's focus on the injury first."
> 
> "What inju..." 
> 
> Pieck gives a sheepish smile. "My knees... Haha.. I think I skinned them when we first fell in."
> 
> "Tainting our river with your filthy blood..." the officer grumbles. 
> 
> Marcel doesn't like the grin on Eren's face.
> 
> "Since it's already been tainted anyways, why not just let us have a little more fun?"
> 
> Does Eren understand the consequences of what will happen if he were to say such baiting things to a Marleyan? He has to, right? He has to know that the only thing that awaits such words are a beating. 
> 
> So what is the point? 
> 
> Marcel does not understand.


	17. when you're just an instigator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Theo is being honest, it's more shocking that he hasn't stumbled across a scene like this earlier. 
> 
> That, of course, doesn't mean that he thinks Eren is an idiot who only knows how to invite trouble... Actually, scratch that. This brat of a child is exactly that. How else can anyone explain this scene before them now?
> 
> A Public Security Authorities officer kicks Eren into the river. Never mind that doing something like that in their pristine and clean river is most definitely a criminal offense (Technically speaking, this river is a hot spot of criminal activity since so many Marleyans dump corpses, but it's a different kind of filth when an Eldian gets in), but if this officer thinks that Theo is going to look away when the most important tool he's managed to get his hands on is about to be beaten, then this officer has a demotion coming.
> 
> "Kruger, these are Warrior Candidates. I am not getting in trouble because of you," the officer's partner says, stopping the beating.
> 
> And Theo is calling it a beating because he's damned sure that this officer has been kicking Eren for far longer before Theo arrived. And Eren probably deserved those hits, but that doesn't justify kicking around Theo's most important tool.
> 
> On the Warrior Candidates' side, Porco has ran into the river to help Eren stand up. Marcel stands to be the buffer between this "Kruger" and these two. The others look too startled or apprehensive to move. That works for now, since they're all Warrior Candidates that cannot be replaced. But Theo's going to need them all to focus only on protecting Eren once they've received their titans.
> 
> They cannot lose the power to change the Attack Titan's prediction.
> 
> "What's going on here?" Theo asks as calmly as he can.
> 
> Theo makes a motion for his men to collect the kids while he takes care of the Marleyans. Jeesh, he should give himself a raise for always taking care of the most headache-inducing tasks.

Kruger's expression doesn't even twitch when he kicks Eren. Either he's confident that this isn't going to hurt Eren or he was banking on being stopped. Eren's betting on the second, because that kick hurt. That's not even to mention how much his back hurts from hitting the rock bed again. He's going to be black and blue with bruises. The only thing he can do is hope that he will be able to hide these from his family.

This guy is such a nasty adult.

Porco helps Eren up, clutching tightly. The grip digs into Eren's slowly forming bruises, but Eren doesn't have the heart to tell Porco off. Not when he can see how worried Porco looks. That was his bad, Porco. Sorry. He probably shouldn't have pushed Kruger like that in front of everyone. Especially not when the situation is what it is.

Marcel settles in the water, standing before the two of them to be the shield against Kruger's anger. This scene is starting to become achingly familiar.

"What's going on here?"

Magath arrives like some kind of a hero, glaring Kruger down. His men move to collect those of the Warrior Division, pulling Eren, Porco, and Marcel out of the river. They don't glance twice at the two Tyburs. There's no way that Kruger missed this. How does this come across to Kruger? What kind of a conclusion is he drawing from this? Has he figured out that those two are Tyburs? Does he finally sees that normal Marleyans don't act like him?

"Commander, I've located your missing weapons for you," Kruger sneers, mockingly motioning at them.

Is that just how Kruger is with everyone? A bitter man who picks fights? No wonder he has to keep his identity a secret from the rest of the Eldian Restorationists. If he doesn't, no one would follow him because he's an ass.

"I don't recall giving the okay to punish my weapons in my stead," comes the surprisingly calm answer.

"If you didn't want them punished, you should train them better."

That's a rather terrifying glare Magath is giving Eren. Oh, come on. Are they passing the blame back to him already? Tch. That's no fun.

"Don't misunderstand. They will be punished. But on my terms," Magath says, glancing back at Kruger.

Kruger and Magath glare at each other for a second. Then the other officer by Kruger's side pull him along.

"This is no longer our jurisdiction. Leave it to the Warrior Division."

For a second, it feels like Kruger is going to argue and demand punishment in front of everyone to see. Then with a soft sigh, he relaxes.

"It is your division," Kruger tells Magath. "But this is my second brush with that child's insubordination."

No shock, Kruger motions at Eren.

"There won't be a third," Magath says calmly.

Kruger gives Eren one last glare before finally leaving with the other officer. Eren thought that as someone who wanted to keep a low profile, Kruger wouldn't go out of his way to pick a fight like that. Or maybe that's Kruger's silent signal that he's going to be talking to Eren later? Man, what a pain.

"Now then," Magath growls, turning to the Warrior Candidates, "what gave you the bright idea to run off without checking with anyone first?"

If Eren were to blame the whole thing on Annie and the Tyburs, would anyone even believe him? The way that Magath is glaring at him is making him rather doubtful that anyone would believe him. How the hell is that even fair? They all treat him like a child.

... Well, okay. He looks like one. But his mentality is more mature than a normal child's, isn't it?

"I-it's my fault!" Willy surprises Eren by shouting. "I-I'm the one who asked them to come along and to entertain me. B-b-because we didn't finish our tag game last time! S-so it's not their fault. Please forgive them!"

Nice cover, Willy!

"And the truth?"

What's the point of telling the truth if no one will believe you?

Eren sighs. "Sir, Willy's words are true. This is all his fault," Eren declares.

Despite having been kicked around for just a bit, it hurts to talk. He doesn't recall getting hit in a spot where it would hinder talking, though.

"If what he said was true, then you wouldn't have been singled out by that officer," Magath points out.

Okay, when Magath phrases it like that, Eren sees the logic. But it's not like Eren can just blurt out why he did what he did, now can he? Kruger better appreciate that Eren kept his secret from Magath. Because he could have spilled the beans, even if he doubts Magath would believe him anyways.

"Sir, I believe that officer is friendless and loveless man who takes sick pleasures from beating children. I think you two would get along great," Eren says.

Porco dares to elbow him, even though Eren is this injured. When Eren lets out a whine, both Marcel and Porco give him a stern look. They're all so rude to him. Eren's going to hold this against them later.

Magath lets out a long sigh. "How badly are you injured?"

"Not badly at all! Just sore from all the times Porco hit me," Eren answers.

Porco rolls his eyes at him. But it's not a jab, so Eren will take it.

"Alright. We'll move back to the headquarter. Let the doctors know accordingly." Then Magath glances at the Tybur kids. "Your guardian is there to collect you. I'll leave your punishment to him, but understand that I will not be this kind next time you try something like this."

... Wait. When Magath says doctors, he doesn't mean...?

*

Dr. Archbard arrives at the headquarter with a giant scowl on his face. The scowl seems to freeze for a second when he sees Magath. But it returns full-force when his eyes land on Eren.

"Hey doctor!" Eren greets with a grin.

"Why am I not shocked that it's you?"

"Doctor, thanks for hurrying," Magath interrupts. "It turned out that the injury wasn't as serious as we thought. If you would rather return..."

He leaves the rest of the sentence hanging, letting Dr. Archbard decide for himself.

"I assume Dr. Grisha will be coming for this mess?" the Marleyan doctor asks, making a motion at Eren.

"He will be."

Dr. Archbard nods. "Then I'll wait for him."

"Does my dad owe you money?" Eren can't help but to ask.

On the plus side, no one outwardly smacks him for his words. They just all let out exasperated sighs.

"W-what? Why else would a Marleyan doctor want to talk to my dad for?"

"It's about the most recent article he wrote. Don't spread weird rumors," comes the sharp warning.

Grisha writing articles? Eren assumes it's something medical-related if Dr. Archbard knows about it. But what a surprise. With how strict the division between Eldians and Marleyans are, Eren didn't think something that Grisha published could get into the hands of a Marleyan.

"My dad's really cool, isn't he?" Eren brags.

The soft scoff from Dr. Archbard sounds kinder than Eren expected. "Yeah, he is."

*

"Jeesh, does he not talk about himself at all?" Dr. Archbard shakes his head as he looks over Eren's back.

The classroom has been cleared out for this. Eren didn't think that he'd receive patient confidentiality being an Eldian and a kid, but the doctor is surprisingly a stickler for the rules. Either that or he wanted to talk about Grisha without anyone else listening in. To be honest, Eren is hoping for the latter, because Grisha really doesn't say much about himself.

"Nope. Not about his work either. So please tell me," Eren says.

Dr. Archbard sighs like it's a bother. But he continues to talk anyways. Eren thinks that this guy is just lonely and wanted someone to talk to for a long time.

"To put it bluntly, your dad is a genius. If he hadn't been born an Eldian, he would have dominated the medical field as the best doctor of the century. But since that's not something that's possible, he struck a deal with our hospital. He'll conduct researches using our resources, and we'll publish his articles of his studies under the names of the doctors at our hospital. Medical advancement can still take place. In return, your dad doesn't get the acknowledgement that he deserves."

Huh? Isn't Grisha way too cool?

Actually, now that Eren thinks about it, he recalls hearing something kind of like this in his own world, too. Hannes said that when a disease ran rampage within the walls, killing a lot of people, Grisha was the one to come up with a cure. Was his dad always this cool of a person? Eren wishes he had more time to talk with him about things. Not just about medicine and his job as a doctor, but also the things he saw. When he arrived at the walls and claimed he had no memory, what did he see? What did he experience?

The mystery of what was in that basement will forever remain a secret to him.

He wonders if Mikasa was able to lead the rest to the basement and find out the truth. Probably, right? Even if both Armin and Eren are gone, she'll be able to keep going. Since she's strong. But Eren couldn't imagine a world without all three of them.

How ironic that he's here now.

He may not have Mikasa and Armin in this world, but he still has his family. He still has those that he can call friends.

They may not be the same as those from his own world, but these people are starting to become just as precious to him. And as embarrassing as it is to admit it, he's certain that this feeling is reciprocated.

"Do you think if I asked, he'll tell me?" Eren asks.

"I'd be shocked if he didn't," Dr. Archbard admits. "You know, when you were hospitalized at our hospital, the only way we could get your dad to open up was by asking questions about you and Zeke. He's quite the doting dad, isn't he?"

Eren giggles. "Are you jealous, doctor?"

There's an exasperated sigh that lets Eren know that Dr. Archbard finds his antics tiring.

"And here, I even bothered to bring you a cup of pudding that you liked so much last time..."

"I'll eat it! I'll eat it!"

The doctor gives Eren a small pat on the shoulder, signaling that he has finished. Eren grabs his shirt and turns to face Dr. Archbard with a grin. The doctor gives him a cool raised eyebrow, pretending like he isn't a second away from laughing. But Eren sees the cracks in his mask. It's easy to see, especially after spending so long with Magath's calm.

"Then promise me. You'll stop causing trouble for your dad. He has enough on his plate as it is. He definitely doesn't need you adding to it."

Eren nods seriously. "Of course!"

The doctor doesn't look like he believes Eren. But he lets out a soft sigh and hands a cup of pudding over anyways.

"I'll be keeping my eyes on you," comes the warning.

Eren laughs and gladly accepts the pudding.

*

It's not just Marcel and Porco waiting for Eren when he comes out of the room. It's also Zeke and Grisha. Eren doesn't miss the sigh of relief from them all. Eren is sure that the others would have filled his dad and brother on what happened. So their worried looks can't be because of his injuries. Then is it because Dr. Archbard is a Marleyan?

How strange.

The divide that was created to keep Eldians down can be worked like this to isolate Marleyans as well.

"Dad, Dr. Archbard gave me pudding! He's an awkward guy because he has no friends, but I think he's a good guy. You two should be friends." Eren declares. "Marcel, Porco, let's go eat!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Commander Magath said to gather once you're done," Zeke tells them.

With a wave, Eren leaves the two doctors to take care of business or whatever.

*

Eren bets that everyone is itching to grill him on every little detail they can think of, but no one dares to say anything in Marleyan territory. Especially not in front of the Tyburs.

"Once again, I would like to extend my apologies," the man introduced as the Tybur family head says with a pleasant smile. "If you ever change your mind, Commander, you know where to find me."

The air about him feels elegant. Eren feels uncomfortable like he's way out of his element near this man. Like anything he says or do, this man will find a way to twist it into his own favor. He hopes that this man will leave and never return.

"I have no intention of changing my mind," Magath says.

"About what?" Eren whispers to Marcel.

He receives a shrug and a soft "No clue. I wasn't there for that."

Eren glances towards his brother, who gives him a small sign for later. So something did happen. Then did the Tybur children come visit them today on behalf of their family head? A spy mission? But those two didn't try to pry any information or seem all that observant to what was going on. Unless that was the image they were trying to project?

When Eren's eyes meet with Willy's, he receives a sheepish smile and a wave. Willy doesn't seem like he's being malicious on purpose. But Eren doesn't know him well enough to believe that based on a smile. For now, he's going to stay defensive.

"If that's everything, take your leave," Magath commands.

The Tybur family does.

"Now, you," Magath says, turning towards Eren. "My Office. Everyone else has reported what happened. Your turn."

Judging from the fact that Magath is separating them out like this for a report, Eren bets he's trying to make sure that all of their stories match. It's not like Eren has any reason to lie. And he can't imagine why anyone would hide what happened.

"Understood, sir."

*

Magath slowly breaths out when Eren finishes. It looks like he's relieved by something. Did he think that Eren was going to lie? No, seriously. Why would anyone hide what happened today? Nothing big happened. But... if Magath expects them to lie, then maybe Eren should play a little prank.

"Did everyone also tell the same story?" he asks innocently.

"Why do you ask?" Magath's eyes narrow as he waits for Eren's answer.

Eren grins. "Just making sure."

He lets the silence between them lengthen and continue grinning. It doesn't take long before Magath rubs his temples.

"What?" he groans. "What did you do?"

"I don't know what you mean. I'm just saying that it's good that we all said the same thing!"

"You are a menace."

Eren laughs. "Why, thank you!"

"What were your thoughts on the Tybur kids?"

The question catches Eren off-guard. He didn't think that Magath would care what Eren thought of them.

"They seem nice. Maybe a bit lonely? I imagine the other Marleyans don't like to play with them since they're Eldians... Or maybe no one knows since they don't wear armbands?"

"Tyburs keep to themselves. Their children are home-schooled. Anything they need, they pull in from outside resources. I did hear that when their kids get to a certain age, they're sent to a private school overseas."

That's a lot more information than Eren expected Magath to share with him. Actually, from the look that Magath is giving him, Eren gets a really, really bad feeling about this.

"Today, the head of the family offered to fork over money for our division if you went on play dates with them."

Wait, what? Is that what they were talking about earlier? H-huh? Wait. If Magath is telling this to him right now, doesn't that mean...?

"I'm not saying that you need to do this for the sake of the money. I'm saying that it would be... convenient if you happened to enjoy the Tyburs' presence and genuinely wanted small breaks in your days where you went to hang out, and it just so happened that we received a generous amount of anonymous donations. Catch my drift?"

This is Magath's revenge for Eren's brattiness, isn't it?

"It sounds dirty. I don't like it," Eren complains.

Magath's smirk looks more vicious than anything else. "Should have thought about before running off."

Eren won't be able to get out of this one, will he?

"There's one more thing while you're off with the Tyburs. I want a detailed report of everything that happened."

"Didn't you say that you didn't want any more paperwork?" Eren complains.

"And I wouldn't have any more, if you weren't such a brat," is the only response that Eren receives.

Which means that this is important while the trip to the museum wasn't? Then what Magath wants out of this isn't just information of children playing. What is he looking for? The blueprint of the Tybur household? Idle gossip of that place? The Tyburs have an isolation stance, don't they? They shouldn't know any political or military information. Then what does Magath think he'll possibly find there?

Well, it'll be better if Eren doesn't ask for further information. This way, he can play the airhead who just happens to get the most useless detail possible.

He'll make Magath regret this.

*

Magath is kind enough to let them head back once he's done talking to Eren. It looks like that's right on time with Dr. Archbard finishing his talk with Grisha.

"It's nice that we get to go back together!" Eren says excitedly.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Grisha agrees. "Eren, it's... er... not that I don't trust Dr. Archbard's work. But would it be alright if I looked over your back once we get back home?"

Yeah, Eren already figured that'd happen. Nothing on the Marleyan doctor, but he can't imagine his dad being satisfied with subpar work.

"Yup. That's fine. Oh, but I wanted to talk to Zeke about something. It's top secret Warrior business, so I can't tell you. Right, Zeke?"

Zeke looks startled for a second. But he manages to make his smile feel sincere. "We can talk about that after your check up."

"It's not fair. I wanted to play with you longer," Marcel grumbles.

"You're done with the Jaw Titan from now on, though, right? So we'll just play starting tomorrow," Porco points out.

Marcel pouts. "It's not the same."

"Then just come over," Eren says.

He feels his dad's gaze on his back. Is inviting Marcel taboo? Why didn't anyone tell Eren of it before? Eren turns to Grisha with the most pathetic puppy dog eyes as he can muster.

"Please? Can Marcel come over?"

Porco clears his throat and motions to himself.

"You bet against me, so no."

"T-t-that was...! B-b-but Annie's...! F-fine! I'm sorry! It wasn't that I didn't want you to win. It's just that Annie's a safe bet compared to you!"

Eren crosses his arms in front of himself and shakes his head. Porco looks like he's a second away from kicking Eren, so he probably shouldn't push this too much. But there's something rather fun about teasing someone who reacts so strongly.

"Eren, don't be mean to your friend," Grisha says with a disapproving frown.

With that simple sentence, Grisha flipped the table. Porco's lips slowly pull into a grin as he starts to snigger.

"Yeah, Eren. Don't be mean. I'm your friend, after all!"

Eren doesn't get what's so funny, but Porco bursts out laughing brightly. This guy is so weird. Shaking his head, Eren glances over at Marcel, who gives him a helpless shrug.

"Look what you did, dad. Now he's more stupid than usual," Eren sighs.

"Who are you calling stupid, stuuuupid?"

*

"Eren, are you still attached to the idea of becoming a Warrior?" Grisha asks softly when he's looking over Eren's injuries in the private room of the clinic.

"Even if I'm not, I don't think I'm allowed to quit," Eren says.

Grisha lets out a soft sigh. "I suppose you're right."

This is the kind of person Eren's dad is. A soft person whose first priority is saving lives. It makes him think about the memory he saw in the cavern under the church. What made his dad take such a harsh stance against Historia's family? No matter how Eren turns it over in his head, it doesn't seem to fit his dad's personality at all.

"But I do wish there was something more that I could do for you. It's pathetic, isn't it? Your dad is so useless against a Marleyan."

Perhaps it was this kind of feeling? The suffocating sense of uselessness that threatens to crush his throat that always, always, always seemed to lurk in the depths of his mind. And maybe one day, that feeling became too much until Grisha finally lashed out. If Eren thinks about the timeline of things, Grisha disappeared before Bertolt knocked down the wall the first time. Then perhaps he heard the news of the attack on Shiganshina on his way to see the royal family.

Maybe the same sense of incompetence that Eren felt when he couldn't fight against Levi for Armin was the same kind of feeling his dad felt when he heard the news. Maybe his dad has always walked that line, wishing he could become stronger as Eren often did.

"Dad, you're not useless. You're not pathetic. You are my really cool and sappy dad. I like this you the best," Eren says.

He doesn't think that's the correct thing to say in this situation. At the very least, he would have hated to hear something like that. It's so insincere without any feelings behind it. How should he go about showing his dad his conviction? There has to be something else. Or maybe the problem is that it's just words? If he can show with his actions...

While wondering this question, he turns to face his dad and is immediately rewarded by having his hair ruffled. Grisha places his hands on Eren's shoulder and looks to Eren with pleading eyes.

"Eren, you are a good child. I wish that meant that you'll be safe. But this world isn't that kind. So will you promise me that you won't unnecessarily go around looking for trouble? I can do a lot of things, but I can't heal death. I can't wave my hand and magically heal your wounds."

"I'll be careful," Eren promises.

But if it's for the sake of the people he loves, he's not too sure how well he can keep this promise.

*

The first thing Marcel does when they're in the safety of the private room of the clinic is to pinch Eren's cheeks.

No amount of protesting, apologizing, or appealing to his humanity frees Eren from this pain and humiliation. Zeke has to step in to put a stop to it. But it seems he only did that to grill Eren for information.

"Porco and Marcel filled me in on what happened. But I want to know why you thought it was a good idea to provoke a Marleyan officer," Zeke says, voice low.

That's more or less what he wanted to talk to them about, so this works.

"I wanted to see what Commander Magath would do. In a situation where it's us or another Marleyan, who would he choose?"

Marcel gives him an annoyed look. "And for that reason, you decided to bait a Public Security Authorities officer?"

There was that, of course. But Eren also wanted to see Kruger's reaction to a Tybur. Magath recognized that Willy was a Tybur just by looking at him. But that wasn't the case with Kruger and the officer by his side. They both thought that the two children were Marleyan kids. Then it's either that Magath recognized them due to his higher status than a Public Security Authorities officer (Perhaps at a 'higher ups' only meeting?) or due to process of elimination (Who else would have been using the empty museum at that time?). If it's the former, that gives them a bit of leeway when it comes to things that they can get away with by waving Magath's name.

"But don't you also think that Magath lets us get away with a lot? Don't you want to know how far you can push him? He told Pieck to use his name to get out of troublesome things from other Marleyans. But how are we supposed to know if it's going to work if he changes his mind in front of other Marleyans?" Eren asks.

"He lets you get away with a lot," Porco corrects. "You're the gold egg laying goose."

Eren frowns. "Gooses don't lay egg, Porco. Are you stupid?"

"No, no. Gooses do lay eggs. You're the stupid one!"

"Focus on this," Zeke tells them both. "Eren, I understand that you were curious, but you cannot risk lives, especially your own, to find answers. What were you going to do if Magath didn't get there in time? If that officer turned his attention to everyone else? If Magath decided that it wasn't worth it to save you kids in front of other Marleyans? Promise me that you will never treat lives this carelessly again."

What Grisha asked of him and what Zeke asked are, in a sense, the same. They are both asking Eren to take lives seriously. The difference comes between whose lives they were referring to. Grisha wanted Eren to treasure his own life more. But Zeke wanted Eren to consider everyone's lives.

It's probably because Zeke spends more time with Eren so he's more in-tune with what is important to Eren. Because if Zeke phrases it like that, Eren finds it impossible to deny that yeah, he didn't think. He was curious so he moved to answer his question without another thought. But Zeke is right. If Eren truly wanted to use this information to benefit everyone, why didn't he stop to think about what would happen afterwards?

Zeke's hand feels warm on Eren's head. "I know you were just excited and didn't mean harm. So just be more careful next time, okay?"

Isn't that too kind? This must be what people mean when they say that Zeke spoils him. It makes him uncomfortable. As a cadet in the force, it was expected to be undermined and harshly critiqued when you messed up. Things changed, of course, when he turned out to be able to turn into a monster, but that was because they wanted something from him and it was to their advantage to keep him mild-tempered in case he comes after them in titan form. But it didn't change the fact that a fuck up was treated as it should be.

"With that out of the way, what's your conclusion?" Marcel asks.

"One of two possibilities. The first is that it's possible Magath wants us to pretend to be Marleyans for missions."

Porco's eyebrows jump to his hairline. "What?!"

"Logically speaking, that makes perfect sense. Those of the Warrior Division aren't exactly well-known outside of Liberio. People know us by our titans, not by faces or names. It'll be easier and cheaper than finding someone else for information gathering, especially since it'll all be done internally by us," Marcel explains to his brother.

"Not likely. If we're caught, that's one less Warrior or Warrior Candidate that they have to use. Magath wouldn't make such an unfair trade," Zeke counters.

Eren nods. "Which leads me to the second possibility. Magath needs to convince us that he's on our side. And with how thickly he's laying it on, I say he's desperate."

The other three go quiet.

"Taking us to the museum, protecting us from another Marleyan, and not giving out any harsh punishment... You've got to admit that it's weird. And for him to work this hard, doesn't it make you suspect that there's another shoe ready to drop?"

"W-w-what are you saying? What could he possibly want from us to do something like that?" Porco exclaims.

"If we think about it, couldn't you also say that he's happy because we're the first success story of the Young Warriors Program?" Marcel points out.

"That is probably what it is," Zeke says smoothly. "You're overthinking it, Eren."

Zeke gives him a serious look, silently signaling him to stop this thread of conversation. It takes Eren a second to realize it might be because of Marcel and Porco. The words of accusation is at the tip of his tongue, but he forces it down. Zeke doesn't want to talk about this in front of Marcel and Porco? That's fine. Without knowing the reason why, Eren doesn't think he should throw a fit over it.

That's what it means to think a little more about the consequences, right?

*

"Oh, right. Dr. Archbard gave me pudding," Eren recalls. "Let's split it."

"You're going to share?" Porco asks in disbelief.

Eren finds it more insulting than he would've thought. "Why wouldn't I? It's good pudding."

"That you're sharing. If it's good, why wouldn't you eat it alone?"

"Okay. Porco, you get none."

Porco shakes his head. "N-no! That's not what I meant! I'm just saying that it's weird! I want pudding."

"Then don't complain." Eren shakes his head. "You're such a weirdo."

"I'm not the weirdo! You are!"

Zeke chuckles lightly and gives Marcel a wink. "Little brothers. What will we do with them?"

Marcel looks shocked for a bit, like he can't quite believe that Zeke is joking around with him. Then he beams. Eren won't be shocked if it's the feeling of validation by someone you respect. See? Zeke's sweet to everyone. Not just Eren. 

"But they're cute, don't you think?" Marcel laughs.

Thinking about it like that, Eren hopes that Zeke comes around to the idea of including Porco and Marcel...

"I'm not cute! Shut up!" Porco yells at his brother.

Maybe they should leave Porco out. Just... as a precaution.

*

Marcel and Porco heads home for dinner. It gives Eren just a few minutes alone with Zeke for exchanging information before he leaves, too.

"Owl is a Public Security Authorities officer?!" Zeke exclaims in disbelief.

Eren nods. "But he proved today that his reach can't get close to the Warrior Division. That's probably why he needed you to join it, especially since he won't have the Attack Titan to influence things any more."

"That's what you were testing." Zeke groans. "I'm sorry for not realizing that earlier. I do wish that you thought of the consequences, but I understand now why you felt that this was necessary. Thank you for finding out about it."

Isn't that laying it a bit thick? Eren didn't think Zeke was in the wrong for scolding him. And the only reason Zeke hasn't done this kind of test was because he didn't know who Owl was. Ah, whatever. It's not that important.

"I don't know how much of it is usable information, though," Eren reminds him.

Zeke shakes his head. "No, it's more than useful. It means that Owl will be blind to what's happening in our division. And he can't approach carelessly since our division is above his pay grade."

But is that really a good thing? It'll mean that Kruger and the Eldian Restorationists will be watching Zeke's every move even more closely.

"Don't worry about that," Zeke says with a wave of his hand. "I'm used to it."

That must be so annoying to deal with. Eren doesn't think he'd be able to do it. Then again, isn't that pretty much what he did for the Survey Corps? W-well, it's different. He was a fully grown adult who made the choice to aid the Survey Corps, even if it meant sacrificing his dignity for the sake of advancing humanity. Zeke was raised as a child to join the Warrior Division. It's different when your loved one forces you into it. It's why Eren never wanted Armin or Mikasa to follow him.

"Zeke, I also wanted to run by you about the thought of telling Marcel and Porco about things. I don't mean about the Eldian Restorationists or Owl. Just things about Magath. Or maybe just the interment zone in general. I... don't think they should be left out of those talks."

He doesn't know what to make of that expression on Zeke's face.

"W-what?" he demands.

"I er... thought you already told them. You didn't seem like you'd keep anything from them or Reiner."

Why is Reiner also added in this? But now that Zeke brought it up, it would probably ease Reiner's burdens to know that he doesn't have to be so stiff next to Magath. That small fuck ups and mistakes that the Attack Titan hits him for won't be something he'll be penalized in front of their commander. By that logic, shouldn't he also tell Colt and Bertolt and...

"Maybe we should just tell the whole division," Eren muses.

Zeke nods. "I don't see a problem with it. Just make sure that it doesn't end up becoming so obvious that Magath takes back his protection."

That's a good point. If they push too much, Magath might do that.

"Oh, by the way, did Marcel ever get the chance to tell you that Magath promised to take us to the Marleyan zoo?"

"No, he didn't!" Eren can't believe what he's hearing. "For real? Is that okay? I can have a lion?"

Zeke laughs. "Just make sure to charge it to Commander Magath."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You'll never believe this, Kruger! Remember how the Warrior Division kids were playing by the riverside today? The two without armbands apparently weren't Marleyans. They were the Tybur kids!"
> 
> And now the typically isolated Tybur family is making a move? First, throwing the Attack Titan's predictions out the window, and now this? Does this child even realize what kind of wave he's causing?
> 
> "We shouldn't have let them escape," Kruger says bluntly.
> 
> His partner rolls his eyes. "Why is that your first thought? Commander Magath's recently gained some favors from the higher ups. I won't touch any of his Eldians if I were you."
> 
> No doubt using Eren's ability as the stepping stone. Marleyans are so damned predictable.
> 
> "Oh, I heard the funniest thing the other day. Apparently Magath took his division members out to our museum," another officer mentions.
> 
> It's bad manners to eavesdrop, but Kruger will let it go because that's important information.
> 
> "He brought bunch of Eldians into our museum and wasn't punished for it?"
> 
> The officer nods. "He timed it well. They were closed for cleaning and setting up a new exhibit from Hizuru. So they didn't disrupt anyone."
> 
> "Do you hear yourself? Magath gave bunch of Eldians access to the museum to roam in private. Most Marleyans don't ever get that opportunity. And you're praising him for timing it well?"
> 
> It never fails to amaze Kruger just how stupid an average Marleyan officer is. How did they not think of that as the first thing when this discussion was brought up? If Eldians weren't being held at gunpoint to keep the Marleyans afloat, Marley would have been wiped out such a long time ago...
> 
> But still, this is worrisome. The members of the Warrior Division are children and will be easily persuaded by grand shows like these. Kruger knows he needs to step in somewhere to remind them of their place to keep them from becoming too attached to being Marleyan dogs. But the problem is always figuring out when.
> 
> Perhaps he should give Eren another visit with that lightbulb...?


	18. this was supposed to go up 5 chapters ago, to give you an idea on how bad i am about following my own outlines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What if I told you you can win a yummy sweet if you do this for me?" Eren asks.
> 
> Colt closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens his eyes again, he looks seriously at Eren.
> 
> "If you think you can buy my affections with sweets, you're mistaken."
> 
> But Eren sees the cracks in the bravado. There is still a chance that he can turn this around.
> 
> "Aunt Faye brought the yummiest sweet the other day. It's really delicious."
> 
> "You guys are ridiculous," Porco groans. He takes the rope from Eren's hands. "Here, I'll do it. Eren, I want that sweet."
> 
> "Wait a minute!" Colt protests. "T-that sweet is for me! Eren said it's for me! I'm going to do it!"
> 
> Marcel frowns. "Porco, weren't you on watch duty? If you're here, then-"
> 
> "What the hell are you kids doing?" Commander Magath exclaims with a thunderous expression on his face. "Why the hell are people complaining of bee stings?!"
> 
> "We're building a catapult, sir," Eren explains to him brightly. "There's this really cool beehive we found earlier. So we're going to catapult it at the airship over there. Since we're doing the hard work of building it, we asked the officers to help us out by getting us the hive. Isn't that nice of them?"
> 
> As Eren asked of them, the rest of the Warrior Candidates give Magath innocent smiles. He mentally cackles at the look of sheer dread and rage he sees on his commander's face.
> 
> That's what Magath gets for cancelling the zoo trip.

Today is the day.

Reiner's hands feel clammy and gross. His stomach hasn't settled since last night, which kept him awake the entire time. And now he can't seem to get any breakfast down.

"Is the food not good?" his mom asks.

"N-no! The food is delicious as always. I'm just too excited to eat right now."

She doesn't look like she believes him completely, but she lets it go. Reiner mentally sighs in relief. He doesn't want to deal with her in a bad mood on top of what's going to happen today.

"You know I'm proud of you, right?" she reminds him. "You are my little hero."

Any normal time, Reiner knows he would have loved to hear those words. But his nerves make it impossible to enjoy anything right now. He's sure his smile doesn't look very sincere. He can only hope that his mom understands.

*

There's an old government building by the seaside that no one uses anymore. It has an underground cavern that has been repurposed into a place to inherit titans. The current Warrior is tied down with chains on an elevated platform. Reiner is given a syringe with titan spinal fluid. There are just three other Marleyan soldiers in the room with them, all of them armed. This is probably to minimize a pure titan's instinct to chase after a living thing to eat. From what Reiner understands, it's rare for a pure titan to chase someone else when there's a shifter in front of them, but it has happened enough for them to take this precaution.

That means there's a good chance that a quiet enough conversation between the Attack Titan and Reiner won't be overheard by the Marleyans. If the Attack Titan has final words of wisdom to impart, now is most likely when he'll do it.

Reiner gulps. A secret that cannot be told to a Marleyan has to be something dangerous. If Reiner were to turn that kind of information over to Magath, would it earn him enough favors to be able to join with the rest of the Warrior Candidates whenever they go out to play? Because Reiner has been feeling so lonely for the past two weeks.

He recalls Eren's hand taking his this morning when they left the interment zone. He remembers Eren's encouraging smile.

It gives him just enough courage to push through.

*

"What's the one thing that you must never do?" the Attack Titan asks, voice low enough to let Reiner know that the secret is coming.

"Look at Paradis Island," Reiner answers.

The Attack Titan nods, looking grudgingly satisfied. They won't be able to talk for long. Marleyans will get too suspicious if Reiner hesitates that much. So whatever it is that the Attack Titan wants to say has to be said soon.

"Have you thought of why?"

The only reason why you wouldn't want to look at the future is to prevent something from becoming set in stone. Since it's the Paradis Island, Reiner figured it had to do with the Rumbling.

When he voices that, the Attack Titan laughs.

"Good. You'll be fine."

It pisses Reiner off more than he'd like to admit. What? After all that, that's all he has to say? That Reiner will be fine? After all the verbal and physical abuse, that's it? That's the grand secret he didn't want Marleyans to overhear? That the Marleyans mustn't know?

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he feels calm, he inserts the syringe.

*

He looks.

Of course, he looks.

It's the one thing the Attack Titan told him not to look at, so that is the first thing Reiner looks at as soon as he has a semblance of control.

The world shakes, almost knocking him off his balance. He thought that this ability just allowed him to see the future, not insert himself as if he's experiencing the future in the same moment. No wonder these predictions are set in stone. He has already experienced it.

There doesn't seem to be any explosions, though. The world is shaking like there's an earthquake of sorts. He doesn't recognize where he's standing, but he sees the rubble of the decimated town they're in. Following the line of destruction, he thinks he can see... an army of titans? But there are plenty of people here, struggling to dig each other out from under the ruble. So why are those titans ignoring these people? Where are they headed?

He's so caught up in his questions and observations that it takes a second to register the laughter.

He does not know this blonde girl that stands in his vicinity. There are five others not counting himself standing nearby and not looking for survivors. Everyone seems to be around Zeke's current age, which makes Reiner wonder if that's how old he is in this prediction. Three of the five, he thinks he recognizes. Bertolt, Annie, and Porco. But he doesn't recognize the other two, both girls. One blonde and the other brunette.

The blonde girl laughs like a mad person. There's no real mirth behind her laughter. At best, it feels hysterical. A little like she might burst into tears any second from now. The brunette puts her arms around the blonde and glares at Reiner as if this is all his fault.

"This is just what you deserve."

Future Porco moves to grab her by the front of her shirt, and Future Bertolt and Reiner moves to stop him.

"Fuck you! You killed Marcel! What the hell about this is deserving? You're going to crush your island along with the rest of the world?"

"It's what all of you deserves!"

In one breath, Reiner is trying to stop Future Porco from lashing out. In the next, he's back in the cavern. The hysterically laughing girl isn't here anymore. The future versions of them aren't here.

He breaths out slowly and leaves.

*

"Reiner! How are you feeling?" Eren asks, brows furrowed in concern.

Is the smile on his face convincing? Reiner can't tell. He feels numb right now.

"I guess I'm next then," Marcel says, looking quite possibly the most nervous that Reiner has ever seen him.

Immediately, Reiner finds himself thinking of what the Future Porco said in the prediction. Marcel is going to be...

Eren bumps Marcel's shoulder with a soft smile. "You're going to be okay."

It's at the tip of Reiner's tongue. The fact that Marcel dies earlier than his term. But he finds himself hesitating. He should say it. It'll be much easier for everyone if they go in knowing this fact. But...

Marcel leans in close to Eren, whispering something that Reiner cannot hear. When he takes a step away, both of them are grinning.

In their own little world again like they used to be before Eren lost his memory. Even though Reiner was the one who was by Eren's side the longest, even though Reiner was his friend the longest, why is it that Eren seems closer to Marcel? It felt for a while that Reiner was getting his spot back in Eren's heart as his best friend. But that's not the case at all, is it?

If Eren hears about Marcel's fate, Eren will doubtlessly change it.

But if Eren doesn't know about it...

It should be fine. The Attack Titan said not to look into the Paradis Island's future anyways. So if he pretends that it never happened and allows the predetermined future to play out as it should, then everything will be fine.

No one ever said that he couldn't use this power for himself. And he only has 13 years left as it is. So it will be fine, since it's not a lie to say nothing at all.

* * *

It doesn't look like anyone's different.

Then again, Eren wasn't all that different when he inherited his titan in his own world. But since that was a different world, maybe that logic doesn't apply here? Just in case, he pokes Bertolt's chest.

"I'm still me," Bertolt assures him, sounding amused.

He's one of the last of the people to inherit. They're all waiting on Zeke, now.

"You don't have any urge to turn into a titan and crush a village? Maybe... knock down a wall...?"

Bertolt looks to be struggling to hold back his laughter. "Not more than usual."

Eren nods. That's good. That's good. So far, it looks like this Bertolt isn't like his world's Bertolt at all.

"Do you want him to knock down a wall?" Marcel asks with a raised brow.

"If you want one knocked down, you can ask any of us," Porco points out. He makes a small motion to himself as if to silently nominate himself for the role.

That's most likely Magath glaring daggers into Eren's back. Just in case Magath has the wrong idea, Eren quickly explains to everyone what his train of thought.

"I thought since our zoo trip was cancelled, we can still see the animals if the walls of the zoo were to... suddenly disappear for some strange reasons!"

From the looks of shock and disbelief on everyone's faces, it looks like Eren has successfully diverted the attention. Hehe. That's right. Eren is awesome at thinking on his feet.

"I told you! I need to get permission from the top brass," Magath groans.

"But you didn't need to do that when we went to the museum," Eren insists. "Clearly, you're trying to rip us off."

Magath rubs his temples. "Where the hell do you even come up with these things? Is Zeke done yet?"

"Why do you even want to go to the zoo anyways? It's just bunch of smelly animals," Annie says.

Eren shakes his head. "It's the principle of the matter. Don't you get mad when your dad doesn't keep his promise?"

Annie freezes. Should he not have brought that up? But no one else seems to care at all. The conversation moves on before Annie can retaliate.

"Eren, you should come up with a better analogy. You'll make our commander mad if you say that," Pieck warns.

"Then when your dog doesn't fetch properly," Eren tries. Porco bursts out giggling.

Colt makes a buzzer noise. "Try again."

"Then what about-"

"Enough," Magath growls. "The zoo trip will happen when it happens. If you keep pushing it, I'll 'forget' that we ever had this discussion."

Eren turns to the rest of the group and mock whispers, "See what I mean?"

He is laughing at the sound of Magath's spluttering when the door opens, signaling that Zeke has finished. Eren turns to grin at his brother and...

The glasses that Zeke is currently wearing is Xaver's, wasn't it? Eren did think that those two were pretty close, but he didn't realize it was enough for Zeke to take his glasses. It's not to say that Zeke looks bad in it or anything. It's just... there's something about it that Eren can't quite put his finger on, but he feels uncomfortable.

"Hey, why are we laughing?" Zeke asks, pleasant smile on his face.

It's Zeke's normal smile. A gentle kind of smile that promises he means no harm. But Eren finds himself tensing.

"Get it through your brother's thick skull that the zoo trip is only for the well-behaved members of the division," Magath orders.

Zeke's eyes flash in understanding. His smile stays the same, but there's a hint of mischief to it. Any normal time, Eren would have taken that as the sign to keep teasing Magath. But he can't quite get himself to joke around.

"Eren?" comes Zeke's worry.

"Are... you really on my side?"

The question leaves Eren's mouth before he can stop himself. It's such a bad place to be asking that, what with the Marleyans everywhere and Magath's sharp eyes watching them. But Eren has to know. He feels like he won't be able to trust Zeke again without an answer to this.

Zeke must have understood the gravity of the situation, because his smile drops into a serious look, and he kneels before Eren so that they're at eye-level. He looks at Eren for a second longer. Is he trying to decide how best to console Eren while the Marleyans are watching them? Or is he weighing if it's going to worth saying anything right now?

Then Zeke smiles kindly.

"Eren, I am your brother."

They're currently in a place with Marleyans watching (with Magath watching). Zeke cannot say anything more than that without risking too much, especially given his position and family status. So even if that is all he says, it's just what Eren needs to hear.

Eren closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He doesn't know why he feels so uneasy, but that's not important. Zeke has chosen his side.

When Eren opens his eyes, it's to grin widely and joke around with everyone again.

*

Eren doubts he's the only one who noticed it, especially since he's not very observant to begin with. But if he noticed it, he knows for a fact that there is a problem.

"Reiner?" he asks, gently touching Reiner's shoulder. "You with us?"

He feels Reiner flinch at the touch. Reiner looks at them with a startled expression that turns sheepish.

"S-sorry. Got lost in my thoughts. What did you say?"

"We were going to stop by Bertolt's for a snack. Do you want to come with us?" Eren asks.

Reiner nods. "Y-yeah!"

Eren motions for the others to go ahead first so he can walk slowly back to the interment zone with Reiner.

"You alright? You've been off since..." Eren makes a vague motion in the air, knowing Reiner will get it.

"I-I'm fine," comes the immediate response. Then Reiner pauses for a second before he lowers his head. "I... don't know. I think I am? I just feel off."

Eren's own memory of when he ate his dad is vague at best, horrifying at worst. He assumes it was one of those things that his mind at the time blocked from his memory in hopes of protecting himself. On top of that, because it was his dad, who is perfectly alive and well in this world, it's hard to think of what to say to Reiner.

"I can't say that I know what you're going through. But if you want to talk, I'm here," Eren decides on.

For just a second, it looks like Reiner is about to say something. But then he must have changed his mind because he just quietly nods. Does Eren's words come off as insincere? Is it hard to believe Eren because he doesn't have a titan? Was the Reiner in Eren's own world also this insecure? But he always put on that facade of a reliable older brother to lure them into false security to betray them easier?

If that's the case, then Eren would rather that Reiner stay like this.

"By the way, when do you want to try look for your dad?" Eren asks lightly.

Reiner's head snaps up. He looks at Eren as if he can't quite believe what he just heard. "Y-you still want to do it? You don't mind?"

"Of course not. You don't mind, right? That it's just going to be me and you?"

Or maybe Reiner does mind? Why does he look so shocked for?

"Y-you didn't tell Marcel? It's really going to be just you and me?"

Eren nods. "Should... I have told him?"

"No, no. I just..." Reiner lets out a relieved laugh. "I think I was worried over something really stupid. Eren, we're friends, right?"

"Yup. And if you give me a bite of your sweet that you pick from Bertolt's, I'll promote you to 'sweets' friend."

Reiner laughs and takes Eren's hand with a grin. "That's awfully tempting. But I don't think it'll be fair unless you share a bite with me."

"Then I guess I have no choice!"

Children are so simple, Eren can't help but to think. You give them sweets, you promise them a trip to the zoo, you compliment them a little. And to them, you become their closest friend or a respective commander.

He wonders what this bitter feeling in his heart is.

*

Bertolt's dad is surprisingly cool with all of them hanging out at the bakery. He even gives them a basket of bread for them to eat while he and Zeke talk about this or that. Eren bets it's because Zeke looks serious because of those old glasses.

"Do you not like Zeke's new glasses?" Marcel asks as he offers the bread basket for Eren to take.

"It looks weird," Eren mumbles. "Well, I'm sure I'll get used to it. Whatever."

He doesn't care too much about which one he gets since none of them look sweet. But when he reaches for the basket, Bertolt picks one up and hands it over to Eren.

"This one, Eren. This one."

Well, Bertolt hasn't been wrong so far in terms of Eren's tastes. He accepts the bread and takes a bite. It didn't look all that sweet when he looked at it, but the secret was hidden on the inside.

"Yum! What is this? Chocolate?"

But chocolate is expensive, isn't it? Is it okay to have it on bread like this?

Bertolt beams. "Anko, actually. There was a shipment from Hizuru, so we rushed to get some. Tastes awesome with bread, right?"

"Where do you guys get the ideas for these things?"

"We can't take all the credit. The Hizuru recommended this recipe," Bertolt explains.

"We get a lot from them, don't we? I wonder if we'll ever be able to visit."

Marcel leans in, probably under the mistaken belief that Eren would let him take a bite. Eren doesn't hesitate to push him away.

"You have your own!"

"I'll share," Marcel insists. But he makes no move to offer his first, so Eren sees no reason why he should.

Reiner clears his throat and holds his bread up. Eren has no idea which one he chose, but he is curious enough to open his mouth for a bite. The bread isn't as sweet as the one that Eren has. It has more of a nutty flavor that Eren thinks is pretty nice. He offers Reiner his anko bread that tastes more like chocolate than anything else.

"Whoa. This is good," Reiner says.

Eren nods proudly even though he had nothing to do with creating it. "Right? It's really good! Bertolt, you should tell your folks that we love it!"

"Hey, try this," Annie says, holding up her bread.

What is this worry at the pit of his stomach? He doesn't trust that serious expression on her face, especially not with how Pieck is giggling behind her. What are they planning?

"No than-"

Annie shoves the bread in Eren's face, refusing to take a no for an answer. Tch. Fine. She wants him to take a bite that badly? He bravely bites off a decent chunk from the bread and comes to regret it immediately. Who the hell puts something spicy on their sweet bread? Eren feels his face heat up as the spices assault his tongue. This is the worst.

"Y-you don't have to eat it, if it's too much," Bertolt tells him.

But it's already in his mouth, now isn't it? Not to mention that victorious smirks on both Pieck's and Annie's faces are more than enough for him to stubbornly refuse to spit it out. They think he's bad with spicy food? Well, they're wrong. He just happens to not like them as much, but it's not like he can't eat it.

He swallows and glares Annie down. "Delicious," he grits out.

The reddening of his cheeks is no longer because of the spices. He isn't so stupid that he doesn't realize that. But a victory is a victory. He's not going to let Annie or Pieck talk their way out of this.

"Pfft! Hahahaha! And you call me a sore loser!" Porco laughs.

Marcel has the nerve to use this chance to take a bite out of Eren's bread.

"What are you doing?!" Eren exclaims in shock.

"It's not fair that you let Reiner have a bite but not me!" comes the childish response.

Eren's words of protest get cut off by Annie's dramatic pointing and declaration of challenge.

"Let's have an eating contest! The first to finish three of these spicy breads will be the winner!"

Why three?! Who is paying for these? And can't she see that he's currently struggling to fend off Marcel (and Porco, who must have gotten jealous that he wasn't included) from eating his bread? Pick a better time, damn it!

"I'm busy right now," Eren tells her. He shoves Porco back while holding his leg out to prevent Marcel from coming any closer.

"Coward!" Pieck yells. "You accept challenges if it's from Porco but not from Annie?"

Porco's head snaps over. Then he nods seriously. "Eren, you can't discriminate like that. That's rude."

"I thought you were better than that," Colt sighs.

And how is this not discriminating against Eren right now? Every single one of them just do whatever they feel like without ever considering Eren's feelings. If it didn't sound so pathetic to say that he was being bullied by children, he would most definitely accuse them of it!

"It's not discriminating! I don't want any of your challenges!" Eren yells. "Where are you going to get that many breads anyways?"

Bertolt clears his throat. Then he dares to offer up another basket of those spicy breads. "These are my favorite, so we always have a lot."

This is starting to feel planned. Eren won't be shocked if Annie mentioned this to Bertolt, and he jumped at the chance to look good in front of a girl. Jeesh, this is why everyone accused of him of having a crush on Annie.

... Actually, now that he looks closer, he realizes that everyone is looking at him expectantly, with the exception of Reiner who stayed behind with Eren. This is planned, isn't it? They all discussed this beforehand?

Eren groans. "You guys all suck."

*

It's not that Eren can't handle his spices, okay? And he isn't doing something as cruel or as pitiful as blaming all of this on Bertolt with the excuse that Bertolt gave Eren the breads with more spices in them. But this is just a lot of spices too suddenly.

There's only so much his tiny child body can handle before he has to throw in the towel.

"You still have one more left. C'mon!" Marcel cheers.

"It's just bread. Why are you struggling so much?" Porco asks.

Eren picks the bread up and gives it to Porco. "You eat it then. Annie, you win. I can't eat anymore."

He expected for there to be a rise of cheers. He thought that they were all just waiting for Annie to "reclaim" her throne or whatever. But instead, he is greeted with Annie grabbing him by the shoulders to give him a firm shake.

"Don't mock me. I refuse to accept such a flimsy excuse. Fight me seriously!"

They're doing an eating contest! Just how serious does she think that this can possibly get?!

"Annie, you're overthinking it. I fought you seriously and you won. Why does anything else matter?" Eren argues.

"Because you don't look defeated!"

... Come again? Did Annie always have this nasty of a personality? Now that Eren thinks about it... Yeah, she most definitely did. She's the one who insisted that she teach Eren how to use her martial arts techniques even though he refused because it hurt. No wonder Armin was able to figure out that she's the Female Titan. Speaking of, Eren really wishes that Armin was here right now to deal with these children instead of him.

"A victory is a victory, whether I look defeated or not. Annie, you won. Be satisfied."

"No!"

Ugh, this stupid little...

"This is pretty good. I see why it's your favorite," Eren overhears Porco says.

Wait...

Eren slowly turns over to see that Porco is currently eating the bread while casually talking to Bertolt. Bertolt, probably happy that someone likes the bread that he likes, beams and excitedly tells Porco about what's in the bread, which is making Porco slow down in eating in horror. Marcel must have realized that Eren is staring because he glances over and meets eyes with Eren. He gives a small wink and a smile, letting Eren know that this is all part of his plan.

Good old Marcel, finally coming to Eren's rescue.

"Ugh! Porco, this is why you keep growing sideways!" Pieck groans.

"H-huh? Me?! What did I do?"

Sorry, Porco. But Eren would rather Porco be the butt of the joke than himself.

"Yeah Porco, you're the worst!" Eren quickly adds.

He grins at the glare Porco shoots at him.

*

This is the worst.

His stomach isn't settling at all.

Without a doubt, everyone in the clinic knows that he has a stomach problem from how often he keeps having to go back to the bathroom from his room. He is never going to accept any challenges that requires him to eat something.

Ugh. This is the worst. Maybe he should just sit on the toilet for a bit.

He wonders what kind of a childhood the Bertolt, Annie, and Reiner of his own world had. How did they end up with those titan powers? What were they trying to achieve by knocking down those walls and then later asking Eren to come with them? If Eren hadn't been so disoriented from the consecutive betrayals from those he ate, trained, and grew up together for three years with (or if he had never been close to any of them), would he have been emotionally distant enough to have pried for information?

There he goes again, thinking about things he can't do anything about. Jeesh, what's wrong with him? Thoughts of his own world seeps into his thoughts randomly like this sometimes. Just when he thinks he's getting used to being here, something reminds him of his own world and the people he held dear to his heart. Is he never going to be able to get used to this place?

He wonders how his dad handled it. Shadis said that Grisha appeared one day outside of the walls without any memories. Eren has a theory that his dad wasn't as lost as he made it out to be. Too many things don't make sense for that to be true. For one, how did Grisha know to target Historia's family with the power of titan shifting? But it couldn't have been something like this of going to a different world, because Eren currently does not have his own shifting ability.

This is such a pain.

It's not like he'll be able to get answers by turning it over in his head again and again. Why is he so stuck on this anyways?

_"You have to believe me. I know what you're going through. We were both victims of your father..."_

Why did he think of what that crazy man said? Eren assumed at the time that he was the Beast Titan, but he did say some...

Wait.

At the time when the Beast Titan spoke, Eren thought he looked like Grisha. And now that he thinks about it more, didn't that guy look like Zeke...? If Zeke were to grow out a beard and age up a bit, that would be what he looks like, wouldn't it? And maybe the reason why Eren kept being bothered by the old-fashioned glasses Zeke is wearing is because those are the glasses that Grisha in Eren's world wore (The glasses that Grisha wears here are rectangular shaped). His mind was making a connection for him, which is why he keeps thinking about his world.

Then did he really have an older brother in his own world? That man he saw is his brother as Zeke is here?

Then...

A knock on the bathroom door snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Eren? Are you alright in there?" his grandpa asks.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine!"

Ah, whatever. It's not like thinking about his world is going to help him here.

*

He can't unsee it, though.

"Something the matter?" Zeke asks when Eren must have stared for a second too long while they're waiting for everyone to gather in the headquarter.

For just a second, Eren entertains the thought of telling Zeke the truth, never mind the mental breakdown that might follow. Never mind where they are so they can't say anything that will give too much away. 

_"Eren, someday... I'll come to save you."_

Those words are not something that this Zeke will ever be able to do. At least not in the way Eren wants to be saved. Maybe that's something that will come with maturity and age, but that's not something that's helpful right now.

"I'm not used to your glasses," Eren says instead. "It makes you look like an old man."

"L-like...?" Zeke makes a face.

Giggling, Eren adds, "Yeah! You don't look like an awkward teen. I'm sure the soldiers would feel more comfortable following you since you look responsible now."

"W-what?! I don't look that old, do I?"

"Well, you're definitely not getting younger," Eren says.

Zeke frowns. But instead of getting angry, he gets childishly petty. "Let's see if I ever help you deal with Commander Magath."

"You wouldn't! Zeke, don't be like that! What if we go to the zoo, and I need your help to free the penguins?"

"You're going to do what?" Magath asks, staring at the two of them in pure disgust and disbelief.

Right. They're at the headquarter.

Eren gives Magath the most innocent look that he can muster. "What do you mean, sir? We didn't say anything."

"Well, I was about to announce that I have a date for your zoo trip, but looks like there won't be one."

"You wouldn't!" Eren whines.

Magath's expression doesn't change, but Eren feels the smugness radiate off of the commander. " _I_ wouldn't?"

Everyone here is out to get him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Reiner," Theo calls, "have you tried to have a prediction?"
> 
> The child flinches at being addressed. He stiffens, guilt clear on his face. But Theo isn't asking to scold this child. 
> 
> "I want you to see if you can look at Paradis Island."
> 
> Reiner gulps heavily. "S-sir, I was told not to-"
> 
> "We have a countermeasure in place. No matter what you see, it can be changed. Without leaving out any detail, tell us all about the future waiting for us."
> 
> Just now, Reiner glanced over at Eren. It looks like Eren is just as surprised by the glance, so it doesn't seem to be something pre-planned. Eren smiles and gives Reiner a small motion as if to tell him to go ahead. Reiner relaxes.
> 
> That's good to know. Their mischief currently stays at minor headaches and pranks and not at a level that can decimate the world. No matter how much they joke around, that doesn't seem to change. Theo hopes for their sakes that this doesn't change.
> 
> "I-I'll look right now."
> 
> There's a small pause. Then Reiner closes his eyes and slowly breaths out. There's a bit of a defeated look on his face as he details back what he saw. Of the destroyed town that he's standing in, the three other Warriors by his side, the titans that are walking off in the distance...
> 
> "I die?" Marcel asks once Reiner finishes.
> 
> "According to who I think is future version of Porco, yes."
> 
> Marcel nods, looking thoughtful. Theo wonders if he saw something that everyone hasn't yet. Well, no matter. If this prediction doesn't take place until the kids are about Zeke's age, then that gives them quite a bit of time to work with. 
> 
> "Our end goal is to prevent that future from happening," he tells the Warriors. "Not just your death, Marcel. But the end of the world. For that, the number one thing I'm going to need all of you to do is to keep this prediction a secret from everyone else. It won't do to cause a mass of chaos and rumors. Is that understood?"
> 
> With their agreement, he then begins to detail his plans to prepare for that looming future.


	19. Warning! Mild gore and canon-typical violence will be the norm from now on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Well, I just find it weird that you have to go," Willy explains. "Isn't it super important that you be protected? So instead of going on this mission, you should just hang out with me and my family."
> 
> He practiced reasoning this out with Lara all week. There's no way that Eren wouldn't see the logic behind this. Even Willy's mom said that Willy couldn't fail. And he's not going to think about the mean things his sister said, because it's clear that she's just jealous that Eren is better friends with Willy than her.
> 
> "Don't you think it'll be fun? I-it can be like... a s-s-sleepover."
> 
> Ahhhh, that's so embarrassing! Why did he stutter? This is the most important part of the delivery. If he stutters, it's going to come across as insincere and-
> 
> "And leave those idiots to fend for themselves? If I'm not there, they're going to do something so stupid that I wouldn't be shocked if there won't be a Warrior Division left," Eren says with a heavy sigh.
> 
> Willy gets the feeling that Eren isn't allowed to say something like that under normal circumstances. So this just goes to show how much Eren trusts him, right? So he understands where Willy is coming from? He agrees with Willy's logic?
> 
> "I am going to go on this mission with them."
> 
> "But it's not like you need to change the future for them or anything, right? And what if you being there ends up messing up the mission? Their guaranteed success could end up getting botched because you're there," Willy says.
> 
> Eren nods. "Yup. That can happen. But just because I'm there doesn't mean the future must change. We won't know that for sure until I go myself."
> 
> When Eren says that with a confident grin, Willy finds himself believing him despite all evidence to the contrary. It's not fair how easy it is to believe Eren's words. If Eren had not been born an Eldian, he would have gotten very far in life.
> 
> "I want you to be safe," Willy grumbles.
> 
> "I will be," Eren tells him.
> 
> Willy hates how easy it is to believe him.

Eren thinks his favorite part of going on a mission is definitely the airship. Sure, Magath is currently droning on about why they're here and what is expected of them, but it's not like Eren's going to be allowed off of the ship anyways. So while everyone is figuring out the mission and their roles, Eren is going to explore this ship with Colt.

He glances excitedly over at Colt, who makes a motion for Eren to pay attention.

Tch. Fine. Eren's going to leave Colt here and go alone.

"Any questions?" Magath asks.

Eren opens his mouth.

"Not you."

Oh, that's just rude. Eren pouts.

"Sir, a-are you sure you don't want me to look into the future?" Reiner asks.

Magath dismisses it without a second thought. "What's that going to help with? We know the plan. Follow it."

Yeah, that makes perfect sense to Eren. He never really understood why everyone was so gung-ho about the whole prediction thing to begin with. Sure, it's nice if you can see what the end result will be. But is that really worth it? If the prediction says you'll achieve the goal you started this out for, then absolutely nothing has changed. But if it turns out that the end result isn't what you wanted, then Eren will have to step in to "change" it. And since Reiner can't see Eren in these predictions, it'll be the same as if they never looked to began with.

See? Future predicting is dumb.

Reiner deflates, so Eren grabs his hand to remind him that it's fine. Future predicting is useless, sure. But that doesn't mean that the shifting ability is as well. There is no such thing as a useless soldier, provided that they are still willing to fight.

"If that's everything, then you're dismissed. Eren, not you."

Oh, come on!

What now? Eren doesn't recall doing anything that would warrant Magath's attention. He went to the Tybur family as Magath asked for and... Oh. The report.

Magath waits until everyone has left before he turns to Eren and raises a brow. He doesn't say anything, which makes it even worse.

"Er... s-sorry about forgetting to turn in a report," Eren manages out.

From the way Magath closes his eyes and takes a small breath in, Eren guesses that Magath probably thought this was on purpose. Sorry, Magath. Eren isn't that bad of a person. It actually wasn't planned for once.

"Give me the verbal report then."

"We caught rhinoceros beetles in his backyard, sir. The Tybur family's backyard is a giant garden, by the way. If Willy didn't stay right next to me, I would have gotten lost."

Magath nods, looking disinterested. "And what did you talk of?"

"He wanted me to stay at his mansion instead of going on this mission. I reminded him that if I'm not here, things would go horribly."

"Of course, you did," Magath grumbles, looking a second away from rubbing his temples. "Anything else that stuck to you?"

"He has a really big family. It looked like there aren't any 'servants' that they hire, and instead, all the family members do their part to clean and take care of the mansion. I'm not sure about their bodyguards, though."

That catches Magath's attention. "So that's how they do things..."

Looks like that's something that Magath has been looking into. Did he try to bribe someone that looked like a servant for information? Yeah, the Tybur family had that already covered. It was one of the first thing that Eren carefully poked around to find. Not to mention they're completely tight-lipped when it comes to any talk of titans. Even when Eren was talking about the Warriors, they gave him such pinched stares.

"What are you trying to find about them? Who is holding the Warhammer?" Eren asks.

"I doubt you'll be able to randomly come across that information. Just these little trivia is enough. I'm not looking for anything in particular."

Why is Eren having such a hard time believing that?

"Is that all you have to report?" Magath asks.

Eren nods. "Nothing much happened. We talked about the beetles that we caught over tea and cookies. But, as I've said, it was mainly Willy trying to convince me not to go on this mission."

The look on Magath's face says that he doesn't believe Eren in the slightest. But he nods and dismisses Eren.

Either there was enough in what Eren reported today to tide over or Magath has other things on mind. For now, Eren decides he doesn't care too much which it is.

"Oh, by the way," Magath adds, "If I hear that you went exploring and got in anyone's way, I'm going to revoke your rights to wander around."

Tch. Annoying.

*

The plan is so simple that Eren doubts anyone can mess it up. The "traitors of Marley" (all Eldians, of course) are sent down as pure titans from this airship. Once they have decimated the small army below, the Warriors go in and wipe them out. That translates into the Public Security Authorities officers joining them in the airship, which is probably why Magath told him not to go exploring.

But Magath also said that as long as Eren didn't get in anyone's way, it's fine.

Originally, he wanted to explore with the others, but it looks like everyone's too nervous about the upcoming mission to be able to stand listening to him. As the one person who won't be participating in the mission (Colt doesn't count. He was mean to Eren earlier), Eren doesn't feel right distracting them like that.

So here he is.

"That's amazing! And you've been doing this for a year?" Eren gushes.

Officer Kuhn blushes at the praise and grins. "Yup!"

According to him, he joined the Public Security Authorities five years ago to show his sick brother that anyone can be a hero. Possibly because of that, he seems receptive to Eren talking to him and asking questions.

"Isn't it scary? The titans are... thiiiiiiis big!" Eren waves his arms wide in the air the way Porco does whenever he wants to emphasize size.

"It is scary," the Marleyan officer admits with a sheepish smile. "But as long as we follow protocol, things will turn out okay. So you don't have to be scared."

Whoa, how reliable! He's almost as cool as Zeke. Almost, of course, because if push comes to shove, Eren has no doubts that this man will abandon an Eldian like him. But still, Kruger can learn a thing or two about manners from this guy. Eren's just throwing that out there, because that over there is one nasty glare Kruger is shooting him right now.

"I can't imagine not being scared," Eren admits.

It's not like he was trying to stare in Kruger's direction. But Kuhn seems to follow his gaze towards the sour glare anyways.

"O-Officer Kruger," Kuhn rushes to greet. He steps forward so that he's standing between Kruger and Eren.

"I don't recall assigning you to Warrior duty," Kruger says curtly.

Kuhn flinches. "I apologize, sir. I'll direct him to-"

"Go to your duty. I'll take care of him."

Eren doesn't like that tone of voice at all. Kruger probably wants to talk to him to revisit that stupid question from before or about their last encounter where Kruger beat him up. But Eren really isn't in the mood to deal with a cranky adult. He'd rather talk to Magath at that point.

"S-sir, I don't think-"

Kruger turns his cold gaze towards the officer. Immediately, Kuhn snaps his mouth close. He gives Eren a worried apologetic look before he finally takes his leave.

"Where are the others? Didn't they tell you not to be alone?"

"They are getting ready for the upcoming mission, sir," Eren tells him as politely as he can manage.

Kruger clicks his tongue. "No one wants to see a filthy Eldian wandering around alone. Come. I'll return you where you belong."

Eren bets they're going to be taking a detour along the way. The only question is if there's a private enough place for them to talk without being overheard by all the Marleyans around.

Well, Kruger probably knows what he's doing.

*

They do, by the way, take a detour. And there is a private place that they can go.

It's the lower decks of the airship, where Eren assumed cargo would be. There are cargo down here, alright.

Eight "traitorous" Eldians set to become pure titans have been gathered here. They're all strapped down, quite how one would put patients that are dangers to others. Arms tied down to their waists, legs bound together. If not for the thing rectangular board keeping them upright, Eren doubts they'd be able to stand. Their eyes are glazed over, and their mouths hang open, spilling drool down to their collars. Eren won't be shocked if they were all given some form of medication to keep them sedated like this.

"No one comes down here, so you can speak freely," Kruger tells Eren.

"Where's my guarantee of that?" Eren asks.

"The guarantee is if I get caught, I'll be sent down like them." Kruger motions at the Eldians by them.

That's probably true. Eren imagines it won't be as simple as that, though. There will undoubtedly be some torture involved first. Isn't Kruger putting quite a lot of faith in Eren's hands? It feels way too much like he's being played with. There has to be something more to this that Kruger isn't saying.

"Tybur family. What does Magath want with them?" Kruger asks.

Going straight to the point, huh?

"As of now, donation and passive information gathering. If there's more that he wants, he hasn't clued me in."

Except does Kruger even believe what comes out of Eren's mouth? If Eren says something ridiculous, would he be called out? Or maybe that's part of the plan? Does he already know about Magath's motives and is using this to gauge how much Eren is willing to tell him?

"And what does Tybur want with you?"

Hell if Eren knows.

"I haven't met the Tybur family head, so I can't speak for him. But Willy and I caught rhinoceros beetles today. When we finished that, we ate cookies and drank tea. Nothing fancy."

Just now, Kruger's eyes widened in alarm. Was Eren not supposed to eat something from the Tybur family? What? Was the food poisoned?

"Rhinoceros beetles?" Kruger asks. "You guys went beetle hunting?"

Eren nods slowly. "Yeah. What of it?"

"No, just... shocked that you can do something so normal... Damn. What am I supposed to do with this lightbulb?"

What the hell does that mean?! Just give Eren the lightbulb instead of carrying it around like some freak!

"Well, by now, it should be clear even to you exactly what your own worth is in their eyes. You are currently the only Eldian who can claim such a status."

"You don't count?" Eren jokes. Kruger ignores it.

"And yet none of them have offered you any form of reward or protection for that worth, have they? Why do you think that is?"

... Reward...?

To be honest, it never occurred to Eren. Reward? Isn't it only right that he does what is expected of him? It was the same when he was with the Survey Corps. By becoming a titan, he could save the most amount of people. Why wouldn't he do everything he can? Though, he supposes that if he takes a step back to examine this situation, it is different.

The Survey Corps fought for the freedom of humanity. The wings on their backs symbolized the hope to one day reclaim the lands stolen by the titans. Whereas, what does the Warriors fight for? What is it that Magath wants them to do as the Warrior Division? World domination? For what purpose? Couldn't the argument be made that Marley in this case is doing the same thing that the titans did to the remaining humans in Eren's world?

And it's not like he doesn't understand where Kruger is coming from either. But the end goal of destroying the rest of the world (never mind who else might end up getting caught up in that) isn't exactly appealing to Eren.

If only there was a way to exist as a third-party without getting involved in any of these dumb adult politics...

"But you'll offer me rewards. So I should choose your side, is that right?" Eren asks.

"Of course, I won't deny the fact that your current position makes you the perfect spy. But it also puts you at the highest risk. Frankly speaking, I would never have approved of you going on a mission like this. I don't know if it's Magath's overconfidence, but the fact remains that he isn't doing everything he can to keep you protected."

Eren can't help but to make a face at that. "I can take care of myself."

He wonders if that was too bratty of a thing to say. Kruger goes quiet, watching Eren for a second. Then...

It probably goes to show that he's starting to get used to Kruger's antics if he manages to hold his arms up to lessen the blow from Kruger's kick to his side in time. It's not enough to stop the blow completely. His body is too small to be able to manage that. He tumbles down to the ground, hitting one of the nearby Eldians.

But that's to Eren's advantage.

He scurries between the boards keeping the Eldians upright to hide from further blows. Mocking words are at the tip of his tongue when he hears the door open. Did Kruger realize that someone was going to come in? Is that why he orchestrated that so that Eren would hide? No, this didn't seem that calculated...

"Kruger? That's just like you to already be here. We're going to fly over the location in five, so Magath told us to get ready. It's so damned annoying that he'll be getting the credit for all of this when we're the ones doing the hard work."

Eren moves as close as he can to the wall, away from the sound of voices. Now the question becomes how he's going to be able to get out of this mess.

"I was chasing a rat. If you see him, tie him up for me," Kruger says.

Bastard.

At least Eren knows that this wasn't planned. Then was he planning on silencing Eren here? Or maybe just give Eren a good scare by using the Eldians already in here as prop? He's such a nasty guy...

"I keep telling you to leave the Warrior Division kids alone. It's not worth picking a fight with Magath over."

Pfft. Kruger's getting lectured. But he must have some good comrades if they're willing to lecture him like this. Eren bets that Kruger doesn't even appreciate how kind they are being to him. Kruger is probably too caught up on the whole Marleyan-Eldian divide to be able to see that this is kindness.

Just a little, Eren wonders if that's how it also seemed when Bertolt and Reiner tried to reach out to him in his own world. That Eren was too blinded by his own hate to see how "kind" they were for trying to take him with them.

"Oh, are we using the new batch this time?"

New batch? Do they mean spinal fluid? Reiner said that it really hurt when they drew the samples a week ago. Are they using it already?

"Might as well. Isn't like there's any difference in using it now or keeping it for later."

"Hey kid, we're going to be opening the hatch soon. If you don't want to be flung out with titans, come out!"

Eren takes the chance to remember how this part of the airship opened. Is the floor going to suddenly disappear? No, no. The wall opened, didn't it? Either way, it's not going to be safe to stay hiding if they open this place.

Hesitantly, Eren takes a step out from his hiding spot.

Officer Kuhn is among the five other Public Security Authorities officers that are here, not counting Kruger. He gives Eren an encouraging smile, which makes Eren wonder if maybe he brought the other Marleyan officers here on purpose to stop Kruger. Mentally, Eren sends him his thanks.

"Found your rat, Kruger!"

With wild laughter, one of the officers hand Eren rope.

"Tie yourself down with this," the officer advises. "It's to keep us from being flung out."

Eh? They're just going to keep him in here? Isn't it manners to let him go?

Kruger smirks down at him. "Hang tight."

Ugh.

*

Officer Kuhn makes sure that Eren's rope is tightly in place before they open the hatch. The wind threatens to pull Eren out. Even with the rope as a safety measure, he doesn't think it'll be enough if he gets swept out there. Kruger grabs Eren by the back of his shirt and pulls him to his side with a look Eren can't quite read.

"Lucky you," one of the officers sniggers at Eren. "You get front row seats to the hard work we do."

"Alright! Let's send one down!"

They don't untie the Eldian. They simply inject the serum in the neck and push the Eldian out the hatch, laughing all the while. The Eldian isn't that far off from the airship when the lightening flashes. But the newly formed titan's arms aren't quite long enough to grab the airship. It flails its arms as it plummets down to the enemy encampment below.

He has heard of the tactics, of course. He knows in theory what happens. They drop pure titans on top of the unsuspecting enemies below. Once those pure titans have eliminated majority of the trouble, the Warriors go in to clean up. Easy victory. He knows that in theory he was there when those kinds of missions took place. He just wasn't physically present like this to watch.

Another flash of lightening accompanies a titan falling down below. And another. And another. All the while, the laughter and jokes of the Marleyans don't seem to ever stop.

Eren wonders what it looks like from the ground. With a flash of lightening as if it'll storm, titans rain down from the sky. Do their body parts get crushed when they land on the ground below? Do they grab whoever they can in that position and start to eat? Or do they wait a bit to regenerate before they go seeking for food? From where Eren is positioned by Kruger's side, it's hard to make out all the detail.

It was hell for him when rocks fell down on the houses all around him and titans began to swarm inside of the walls. But for the titans to be the ones falling and not rocks? His mom would never have survived the initial hit, he imagines. She probably would have died much quicker. And by the time Eren and Mikasa got there, they probably would have been eaten by that smiling titan that still uncomfortably reminds him of Dina. If it had been Marley that they had been fighting in his world, humanity would have died with that initial destruction.

There is no flash of lightening this time when another Eldian falls.

It only occurs to Eren that something's wrong because of the hushed silence.

"What... why didn't that one transform?" one of the officers braves to ask.

"Check the syringe. Does it look like it's been tampered with?" Kruger asks.

The officer turns the syringe in his hand and shakes his head. "It looks like all the others. i can't tell... Shit! Was that one defective or something?"

"Let's just try another one and see what happens."

The lightening flashes as it should this time. But the mood has changed. No one is laughing now.

They confirm lightening for the next Eldian, but the last one does not transform. There doesn't seem to be any logical pattern to this that can be easily guessed at.

"Is it the serum?" one of the officers wonder.

"We've verified that all the Warriors we've drawn spinal fluids from can turn into titans, didn't we?"

"Then why aren't all of these guys turning into titans?"

"Maybe it wasn't Eldians that we tossed out...?"

"Don't be stupid. Of course, they were Eldians. You think we don't double-check blood tests?"

Eren glances towards Kruger, whose lips are drawn into a thin line. He must be nervous. The only one who was in this room before others got here is him. It's possible that the blame fall on him as the most likely candidate who had the chance to tamper with the serums.

"Does this not normally happen?" Eren asks as innocently as he can.

"All Eldians react to the titan serum," Officer Kuhn tells him as soothingly as he can seem to manage. "Since we have proof that these eight that we threw down all were Eldians, then the serum must have been tampered with."

"Officer Kruger didn't do it," Eren informs him.

There's no need to look at him so shocked. But since they look doubtful, Eren clarifies.

"He was more interested in beating me than in the serums. So he wasn't the one that did it, if they have been tampered with."

"Yeah, that sounds like Kruger," one of the officers sigh.

Kruger scowls at Eren. Yeah, yeah. You're welcome.

"But that still leaves the question of who might have done something like this," Kuhn points out with a frown.

Eren doesn't know enough about Marley's enemies to be able to come up with a good enough conclusion aside from that. Despite how much information he's been trying to gather, it feels like he'll never have enough.

"Too bad Reiner can't see the past," Eren sighs.

"But we'd be able to see if this will happen again," one of the Marleyans realizes.

Kruger smacks Eren's back. "Not bad of an idea."

Is... that supposed to be a compliment? Then why the hell did he smack Eren for? Why is everyone in this world so violent?

"With that out of the way... Let's celebrate our hard work!"

The Marleyan officers gather around the open hatch to watch the chaos down below. They don't share drinks or food in celebration. Just more laughter and coarse words that seemed much too cruel to the unsuspecting soldiers down below, being eaten.

*

Magath looks like he's a second away from bursting a vein.

"I seem to recall telling you not to wander around by yourself," he grits out slowly.

Oh. That's what he's mad about? Eren thought he'd be more concerned with the whole "Eldians aren't turning into pure titans" bit like all the other Marleyans seem to be. But nope. He's glaring at Eren like this is all his fault, even though he hasn't done anything to warrant such a harsh thought.

"I was with Officer Kruger, sir, and not alone," Eren offers.

Magath closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "We'll talk more about this later." Then he turns his attention to the Public Security Authorities officers. "Any sign of tampering?"

"None that we could find. We've already proven that these were Eldians that we were using the serums on. So either there were something wrong with the serums themselves or they were tampered with to a point that we weren't able to detect it."

"I'll look into the security of the serums and who might have been able to do something like this," Magath says.

"It's possible that this might happen again," Kruger adds. "If so, then your Attack Titan would be able to predict it, won't he?"

"I see what you're getting at. Alright. I'll set the Attack Titan on that. For now, let's finish this mission first."

*

Eren thinks it's overkill for Magath to demand that Eren stay by his side. But not even Colt is trying to defend him, so he knows that he doesn't have much of a ground to make a case. He didn't even try to leave the ship or something. He doesn't get why they're making such a big deal over it.

"Did any of the officers you met looked like they would do something like this?" Magath asks Eren.

"Not really. At the very least, they were all really shocked when they saw the titan transformation didn't happen. If any of them really tampered with the serum, they didn't know that this would be the result. But..."

Magath glances at him.

It's something that's been bothering him for a while, to be honest. The rational why Eren needed to be killed and eaten by Historia that Rod Reiss gave in that cave back in his own world was because Eren wouldn't be able to use the titan's full ability. That was a power that only the royal line could use. What if an offset was true in this world?

What if Zeke can't use the titan ability?

"What?" Magath prompts.

Right. Focus on this. He can't say anything that might even allude to the idea that Zeke might be different. There's no need to bring up something like that that has no basis. They said that all the Warriors were able to turn into titans, after all. Then Zeke is already in the clear. 

"But how many different people handle the serums after they're taken from the Warriors? Once we figure out that number, we'll start narrowing down the suspects, right?"

For just a second, Magath stares at him for a beat longer. Eren offers him a toothy grin. "It's pretty cool that we're going to be using Reiner to solve a mystery!"

The look on Magath's face accuses Eren of hiding something. So Eren decides to get petty.

"Commander, did you want me to point to someone and say that they're the ones causing this issue?"

"I know you hold no love for Officer Kruger. I'm shocked that you didn't take this chance to accuse him."

Just what kind of a scumbag does Magath think Eren is?

"Why would I do that when I have no proof? Accusing someone blindly because I have a personal grudge against them is stupid. At the very least, I should provide evidence of their wrongdoing first."

Not to mention Eren isn't so foolish as to believe that his words would be believed if he were to ever turn them against a Marleyan, even if Kruger isn't really one.

Magath slowly breathes out, looking relieved. "So you do have common sense."

Eren is too insulted to know how to respond to that.

*

The Marleyan officers, Eren, Colt, and Magath stay on the airship while the Warriors clean up the mess. Clean, of course, doesn't mean just the enemy soldiers. They'll have to take care of the pure titans that were released, too. Once the Warriors have deemed the area clear of dangers (especially from other titans), Magath gives the okay for Eren and Colt to join the rest of the division on the ground.

"Eren, if you wander three steps away from me, I'm getting a leash," Magath warns.

"Sir, I understand your age prevents you from walking faster, but-"

Colt covers Eren's mouth and prevents him from saying the rest. He give Magath a forced smile.

Tch.

Due to Eren's circumstances, he never joined the clean ups after fights back in his own world. It was probably Erwin's and Levi's quiet way of keeping him out of sight in case someone wanted revenge for the destruction he caused. Because it is quite the destruction before him now.

A titan does not have a digestive system. Any humans it consumes, it throws back up in a pile of disembodied body parts and whatever this gooey substance that's inside of them is. Eren heard of it, of course. He heard about it from the teachers during his trainee days. He heard about it from his fellow cadets who had to clean up the mess after Trost. He heard about it from the veterans of the Survey Corps who had more than enough of their horror stories to share.

But all those stories don't prepare him for what he finds.

It's one thing to see someone be eaten in front of your eyes. It's one thing to see leftover body parts from when a titan bit down and left behind a... little surprise. But it's a completely different thing to see those body parts and corpses thrown back up.

Isn't it such an odd thought?

This is what a titan leaves behind.

Its own body disappears in smoke as if it never existed. The only mark on the world it can make is this pile of chewed up bodies. That and some rubble, Eren supposes. But those can easily be remade. Trees can be replanted. It'll take some time, but those things can be recovered.

But the lives lost...?

"Eren," Magath calls. "What did I say?"

"Sir, what are we going to do with these bodies?" Eren asks as he hurries back to Magath's side.

"Leave them. What? You wanted to keep some as a souvenir?"

"No, sir. Just curious if we had to look for the leader's body."

Colt lets out a small sigh. "Weren't you listening to the mission brief? This is a warning to the enemy. We don't need to do anything more than show our power."

And for that simple show, these people were killed in such a horrifying way.

"Shouldn't we at least burn the bodies so disease doesn't travel?"

At least that's what Jean said it was important to do. He had a dark look on his face when he mentioned it. Eren couldn't bring himself to ask more.

"Why bother? This isn't our territory. If there's any disease, it won't come to us," Magath says.

What kind of logic is that? Because this isn't their territory, they're just going to let these bodies rot away here like this? Even if it's their enemy, shouldn't they still show human decency?

"Eren!"

Porco flings himself at Eren's back, almost knocking the two of them down to the ground with force. With a loud laugh that seems to chase away the dark thoughts, Porco grins at Eren.

"Did you see me? I crushed them!"

"'We' crushed them," Marcel corrects. He comes to help steady Eren from Porco.

Well, yes. They did. But... is that really something to cheer like this about? They killed a lot of people, and not exactly in a clean and fast way either.

"What are you talking about?" Porco asks with a scoff. "They're our enemy. What more justification do we need?"

But they're just children, killing people under orders. Is that really...?

"I crushed two of the pure titans," Porco brags, dragging Eren's attention back.

"No, you really didn't. At best, it was one and a half," Marcel corrects.

"Nuh-uh! You're just jealous because your titan is tiny!"

"What does that have to do with how many you killed?!"

"I crushed a lot," Bertolt volunteers, raising his hand as he joins the talk.

Porco rolls his eyes. "You don't count! You set everything on fire!"

Eren should be laughing, right? He should be joking around as the rest of them gather? He should be celebrating their first successful victory?

He wonders when it became this hard to pretend to smile.

*

They take their leave once all the Warriors have been collected.

The corpses of their enemies are left mangled and chewed up for whoever discovers them next.

Eren is starting to understand the distaste the Eldian Restorationists hold for Marleyans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theo reads through the documents given to him with a frown. Aside from the doctors who prepared it and the Marleyans who were on that ship, there's no one who would have been able to tamper with the serums. The doctors extract the spinal fluid and place them in a locked box. Next time those are unlocked is to be used.
> 
> So either something went wrong when they extracted (not likely. These doctors have done that a thousand times to mess up so suddenly) or there's something that Eren didn't see or didn't bother reporting (also not likely. That kid is much more honest and sharp than Theo could have predicted). When he eliminates the possibilities like this, there's just one conclusion he can draw.
> 
> "We're going to have to test each of the Warriors."
> 
> It's annoying to deal with, but nothing that's going to completely throw his plans into ruin. Rather, not knowing the answer to this would be more detrimental. 
> 
> With that figured out, the next thing left to do is... 
> 
> His eyes land on the reports he received about today's mission from the Warriors and the Public Security Authorities officers.
> 
> It was a successful mission, even with that bit of a mystery. Does Theo really need to handle this many paperwork for a single mission? This is overkill, no matter how he turns it over in his head. 
> 
> He rubs his temples. It's going to be another long night, isn't it?


	20. forget anything you thought was a schedule i was keeping. we're on turbo speed to finish this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The previous Attack Titan left out a rather important part about these predictions. 
> 
> It's not enough to tell yourself that you'll be doing something in order to spark one. 
> 
> He's been trying every night in hopes of finding his dad. But he hasn't been able to spark a single prediction. It can't be that this isn't how predictions work, because this is how he got the prediction about Paradis Island to work. Then there can be two reasons why he can't see his dad.
> 
> The first is because he will never meet his dad.
> 
> The second is because Eren is involved.
> 
> If it turns out that Eren is the reason why he cannot see the future, then... will he have to give up on his friendship with Eren? He has to choose between Eren and meeting his dad? Even without further consideration, he already knows what he'll choose. Hell, it's not much of a choice to begin with.
> 
> It is a bit disappointing, though. But since this is how things turned out, he might as well as make the best of it. 
> 
> "... is the situation. I'm not saying you need to catch the culprit on your own. But it would give us a good starting place," Magath says.
> 
> Reiner's eyes dart towards Eren, who looks like he's locked in a very important debate against Porco. Marcel is hiding his laughter behind his hand, watching them. 
> 
> "Is something wrong, Reiner?" Magath asks, snapping Reiner out of his thoughts.
> 
> "N-no, sir. I'll do my best."
> 
> Magath looks like he's unhappy about something, but since he doesn't say anything out loud, Reiner gladly pretends he never saw it.

In the end, Reiner can't see who might have tampered with the serums. That leaves one of two things. The serums weren't tampered with or whoever did it was smart enough to hide their tracks to not cross paths with the Attack Titan.

Eren is starting to believe it might be the first one.

"Reiner could've messed up," Porco insists. "He's still new to this power. Who's to say that he actually figured out how to see predictions?"

"Because unlike you, he diligently went to train with the previous titan holder," Eren reminds him.

"T-that was...! I wasn't the one that decided that! He told me to go away!"

Eren crosses his arms and looks away with a light "Hmph!" It does exactly as he expected and causes Porco to shake his arm aggressively. Marcel shakes his head at them, even though they can all see him struggle to keep his laughter hidden.

"Eren, we all goofed around at that time except for Reiner," Colt reminds them.

"I didn't goof. I trained," Annie corrects him.

Colt apologizes, even though Eren doesn't think that's quite right. Does challenging him to fights really count as training?

"Still, it does make you wonder exactly how his powers work," Bertolt remarks.

Eren gets that. All the powers of the titans seem so strange and random.

There's the Colossal, which okay, he's huge and creates bursts of steam so hot that it sets everything on fire. But then you have the Female, which huh? She's the only titan with visible boobs and that's somehow a power? It's not even like she can create more titans either or "nurture them" to be stronger or whatever. So what's the point of singling her out as "Oh, she's a female" just because she has breasts? Because she can "allure" other titans with them? Well, that's fucking stupid. What if you're not into female breasts? What if you're an ass person like Reiner was in Eren's former world? At that point, wouldn't the Colossal's giant ass be more alluring? But titans don't have genitalia nor any drive aside from the need to eat humans, so what even is the whole point of this "alluring" business anyways?

And for that matter, what the hell is a Cart Titan? If all these powers were split from the original Founder or whatever, then doesn't that mean that the original titan was part cart, whatever that means? Then what's the Attack? The original's...? Ability to attack? Then how does seeing the future tie in with that? This makes no sense.

"Why don't we test it a bit?" Pieck suggests.

Eren does not trust that grin on her face in the slightest.

*

"Simple. You just keep trying to see the predictions of what's going to happen in every day life things. For example, what am I going to pull out of my bag?" Pieck asks.

That actually makes a lot of sense.

They're all gathered together outside of Bertolt's family bakery (No, Eren didn't choose this location because he was hungry. But he's not going to say no to free sweets if Bertolt's family offers). This place is slowly becoming their hangout to wind down after leaving the headquarter. 

"Oh, okay. Yeah, That makes sense," Reiner nods. He pauses for a bit. "You have a book you're going to pull out."

Pieck nods. "Title?"

"'Atlas of the World?'"

"Correct!" Pieck pulls out the book of maps and shows the title to everyone. Then she gives the book to Eren but stops him from opening it. "What's on page 23?"

Oh, they're going down to the little detail?

Reiner takes a deep breath in, looking uncomfortable. Then he slowly releases his breath.

"Page 23 is a map of Liberio. But in my prediction, Marcel is the one who opens it to that page."

Eren blinks. Is that what the previous Attack Titan meant by Eren couldn't be seen? Anything he does is replaced by someone else? 

"Okay. We're going to have Eren open it." Pieck motions for Eren to do so.

Page 23 is most definitely a map of Liberio. How often did Pieck look through this atlas to know the page number by heart? Or maybe that was just a good guess?

"Oh, this is an old map," Marcel says, peeking over Eren's shoulder. "The interment zone isn't there."

There's a grassy patch where the interment zone should be on the map. Eren frowns.

"Is it because the interment zone is new?" Eren asks.

Marcel shrugs. "I doubt it. It's more likely to be because they don't like us. Something like if they say we don't live here, then we must not exist, you know?"

You'd think these Marleyans were children with how dumb their logic is.

"Okay, let's keep testing!"

*

"I see," Reiner mumbles softly to himself when they're all heading back for dinner to their respective places.

"See what?" Eren can't help but to ask.

"If I can't see a prediction, it's not because you're there. It's because it will never happen."

Eren tilts his head to the side. Those words sound like Reiner has been thinking about it for a long time, but he also sound relieved. Is it about the titan situation? There's a good chance that it's a fluke, isn't there? Eren feels like the adults were in the wrong to make these children worry so much. But that's not something he is allowed to voice.

"You okay?" he asks Reiner softly.

Reiner surprises him by grinning. "Yup! Just fine!"

*

Magath's solution is to try drawing spinal fluids straight from the Warriors and injecting it at a safe testing ground. That means he must have ran out of Marleyans to blame for this.

"You," Magath says, motioning for Eren to follow him.

Eren silently follows after him. The two walk around the parameter of the testing ground. They're in the mountains, which is rather nostalgic for Eren. There's a clearing with a ridiculously large ditch dug out. Various canons have been placed around the parameter of the ditch, all pointing in. Eren has no doubts that the ditch will be where the Eldians who has been injected with the titan serums will be tossed in. It was mid-afternoon when they arrived, but it's starting to get much later after all the set-up. Eren won't be shocked if they'll have to stay the night up in the mountains to finish the tests.

"You see this set up? We're going to be releasing pure titans down there in the pit. It's going to be dangerous."

Yeah, no shit.

Magath gives Eren a serious look. "Do you understand? It's dangerous."

Wait... Is Magath implying...?

"Let me repeat one more time to make sure you get it through your head. This place is dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near it."

"Sir, I find it really weird that I'm being singled out like this," Eren says, because he's a polite person.

"If you were me, wouldn't you also single you out?"

Eren honestly feels so insulted that he doesn't know how to answer that.

"Just stay away from this area, understand? I don't care if you have supervision. Just stay away."

This new habit of Magath's of repeating his warnings is really annoying.

*

What's the point of giving a warning if Magath is going to keep Eren on a short-leash?

"Hey!" Magath grabs Eren by his scarf and yanks him back. "Stay."

"But sir! I wasn't going anywhere near the pit!"

"That's what you say now."

Just what did Eren do to make Magath's faith in him be this low? ... Well, okay. Fine. Eren gets where Magath is coming from. But this is too much, isn't it? Even Mikasa wasn't this protective, and she actually cared about Eren.

"What were you going to grab anyways?" Magath asks, lips drawn back in an annoyed scowl.

Eren points at the ground. "This beetle is shiny."

Magath breaths out slowly. He doesn't say anything more, though, so Eren figures this conversation is over.

He glances over at where the Warriors are with the Marleyan doctors who typically handle this. These doctors are not the ones that Eren has gotten to know. According to the conversations Eren has overheard, it seems these people are always called in for dealing with titan serum. It would have been nice to be able to talk to them to get more information, but Magath's glare at his back prevents him from going too close to the pit.

"Are we going to be collecting them?" Eren asks.

"What?"

Eren motions at the giant hole. "You inject the traitorous Eldians with spinal fluid. Then you push them down there and wait for them to turn into a titan. Are we collecting them in there?"

"No. I'm not risking a chance of them escaping. As soon as we confirm the transformation, we're executing them."

"Then if they don't transform, will they be freed?"

"Don't be silly. They're still traitors."

But if they escape being turned into a titan, doesn't that kind of win them some points? Eren feels like they should be given a second chance if they're that lucky.

"Come on. We're going to watch from a better vantage point."

*

They built a wooden platform that will overlook the entire area, especially the pit. Magath, the Warrior Division members who aren't currently being tested, and a few Marleyan soldiers are up here. Officer Kuhn gives Eren a wink when they meet eyes. Eren grins back at him.

"Zeke, you're not going first?" Eren asks when he spots his brother.

"Marcel requested that he go first. To be honest, I don't blame him. I would like to get it over with, too," Zeke sighs.

Yeah, the whole situation isn't exactly pretty.

"Sir, I have a question," Pieck says, turning towards Magath with a nervous expression on her face. "If it turns out that there's something wrong with us, what will happen to us?"

That is a very important question. Eren is sure that he's not the only one waiting for Magath's answer.

"It just means that we won't draw spinal fluids from you. Don't worry about it."

Eh? If it's like that, then isn't it to the Warriors' interest to not be able to turn people into titans? Or maybe that's just Eren?

"Looks like they're starting."

It looks like Kruger is the one handling the injection. The process actually looks pretty smooth. The doctor extracts and gives the syringe straight to Kruger. The "traitorous" Eldian is placed right by the edge of the pit. As soon as the injection takes place, Kruger kicks the Eldian down and...

The flash of lightening assures them all that Marcel's spinal fluid is fine.

Eren covers his ears, readying himself for the canon fire. But none comes. Slowly, he pulls his hands down in time to see another flash of lightening. Marcel's Jaw Titan jumps into the pit, taking care of the "execution."

Then what's the point of these canons? If they're just going to be sending the Warriors in for the finish anyways, why set them up?

The Jaw Titan climbs out of the pit, the job finished. Marcel exits his titan and grins up at them in the raised platform.

Eren feels sick.

"You alright?" Zeke asks, kneeling before Eren.

"Y-yeah. Just peachy."

Eren laughs to get his point across, but his voice sounds shaky. Lucky for him, Zeke seems to understand his silent plea for not saying anything more. Zeke gives Eren's shoulder a small squeeze.

"Alright! My turn!" Pieck says.

"Are you going to go last then?" Eren asks Zeke.

His brother sighs and nods. "Looks that way."

Eren pats Zeke's shoulder and offers a small smile.

*

It's starting to feel like they're wasting their time as the sun threatens to go down in the horizon. There isn't any sign of tampering or trouble. Each of the Warriors pass without any sign of foul play. They do use the canons, by the way, for Bertolt's turn. Instead of letting him turn into the Colossal (Eren assumes because of the fiery hell that will follow), they open fire with the canons until the pure titan's nape is blown off.

"Maybe it was a dream," Eren grumbles with a frown. "And there isn't any issue."

Marcel lightly bumps against Eren's left shoulder and gives Eren a small smile. "Even if that's true, at least we'll know for sure through this. Besides, we get to spend the night up here!"

Oh? That sounds quite a lot like Marcel has something fun planned.

"Are we thinking prank or adventure?" Eren whispers lowly.

"What? We can't have both?" Marcel whispers back. His smile grows from a small one to a sniggering grin.

Eren rather likes the sound of that.

"We'll get in trouble if we leave our assigned areas," Porco interjects. He physically shoves himself between the two of them, glaring at them like he's suspicious.

"Then we'll make it fast," Eren says. "What Magath doesn't know..."

"I can hear you, you damned brats," Magath snaps.

Tch.

*

The only reason Eren realizes that something is wrong is because he sees everyone tense. Following their gazes, he turns his attention towards the pit. What? It looks like Kruger has already injected the Eldian, because there's someone tiny that looks to have just landed in it. This is their last test of the day, which means it's Zeke down there. And...

Wait.

Why isn't there a lightening flash?

There's a lump in Eren's throat that refuses to budge. He feels cold dread coiling in his stomach. It can't be what he's thinking, right? Zeke can transform into a titan. If he couldn't, this would have raised flags much earlier. But no one mentioned that Zeke couldn't transform, so it can't be that.

So why...?

Because of his royal blood? But why would that prevent him from turning people into titans?

"Looks like we found our culprit," Magath says. "Let's go down."

*

Zeke is standing next to the edge of the pit with the other Marleyans, conversing. Eren figures it's about what just happened, but he feels worried anyways. He picks up the pace and throws his arms around Zeke's leg.

"I'm okay," Zeke assures Eren with a soft smile.

It doesn't look like Zeke is lying, so at least there's that. But the problem isn't whether Zeke is okay right now. The problem is if this is going to end up revealing the fact that Zeke is of royal blood. Well, Kruger is here, so probably not, right? It can't be good for Zeke to be discovered, since that could potentially snowball into the Eldian Restorationists getting caught. 

"I didn't think this can happen," Magath says. "But you can still transform without an issue, correct?"

"Yes. I can still shift."

"We'll have to look into why."

"Maybe it's a Jaeger thing!" Eren casually remarks, letting Zeke's leg go. "I mean, that's just what you'd think naturally seeing that I'm weird and Zeke's like this."

Did Magath take the bait? He's keeping his expression too stoic for Eren to be able to tell. But covering for Zeke like this should at least keep Dina out of the investigation for a bit, right? The rest, Eren can't help with. But this should at least buy some time to fake documents or whatever it is that Kruger does.

"I suppose you have a point," Magath sighs.

Eren isn't sure why, but he's super bothered by the look Magath is giving him. Or maybe the reason why he's feeling bothered is that everyone is down now and close enough to hear. He sees the grin Marcel and Porco pass each other.

"I-I'm the good kind of weird, though," Eren insists, trying not to mind how much he's turning red with embarrassment.

Damn it. Now even Officer Kuhn is chuckling.

"Eren, just keep your mouth shut."

Fine, be that way! See if Eren ever says anything important again!

Eren pouts and takes a few steps away from the crowd. His eyes land on the Eldian in the pit, who hasn't transformed. It looks like they landed surprisingly safely enough to be able to look up at them from the ground, alive.

"Are we leaving that guy down there?"

He didn't lean that far forward towards the pit or anything. That's dumb. Why would he do that? He was pushed. He's certain of that. He's just not sure who pushed him, especially given how many people were up there.

But the more important fact isn't the fact that he was pushed.

It's the fact that he's now falling into the pit.

Three things happen all at once.

The first is that he feels someone grab him a second late (Thank god he wasn't grabbed by the scarf. He doesn't want to imagine what being strangled to death is like). He sees a flash of the Marleyan uniform and assumes that it's Magath. The two of them fall a bit down before Magath securely grabs Eren by the waist and stops the fall by grabbing onto the wall.

The second is the shouts and yells from those still up by the edge of the pit. Instead of yelling like that, they should really rush to help them.

The third is the lightening strike that denotes a titan transformation.

Oh, that's good. Looks like one of the Warriors had enough sense to rush down to them and...

Eren is wrong.

That flash of lightening wasn't due to a Warrior. The Eldian that was in the pit has transformed. The pit itself is tall enough that it cannot grab them, but that's only on the assumption that Magath's grip stays strong. The minute he lets go, they'll both go tumbling into the open mouth.

"Guess it works on a delayed time?" Eren wonders.

"Worry about that later."

That voice does not belong to Magath.

Eren slowly looks up and is greeted with Kruger's usual scowl.

... Kruger? R-right. That makes more sense. Why would a Marleyan risk his life against a titan to save an Eldian? Why did Eren think it would be Magath? When did he fall under that trap? But that said, why the hell is it Kruger? Is this guy stupid? Doesn't he have a cover to keep secret? Why did he jump in to save Eren after all of his huge shows of being someone who hates Eldians so much that he kicks children for shits and giggles? Hey, what's excuse is he going to use? If Eren dies here, then he loses his kicking bag?

"Throw down a rope!" Kruger yells to those above.

"Dealing with the titan first is a better plan," Eren reminds him. "Then they can take their time looking for rope or whatever."

"Ah, yes. I'm sure that the canon fire to bring down the titan won't kill us in the process. And I'm also sure that the Warriors aren't tired from their transformation earlier to be able to come save us," Kruger grouches.

Really? That little and they're already too tired to shift again? Eren feels like his own ability wasn't that limited. He was able to transform more often than that, wasn't he? Is it because they're children? Or maybe that's just how it works in this world?

"What about Zeke?" Eren asks.

Kruger stiffens. "They won't let the Beast fight. He's known as the most useless titan for a reason."

Just what is the point of having all of these so-called weapons if you can't use them when it matters?

"All that weaponry and scientific advancement, and there isn't even a single good way to slay a titan without a firebomb?" Eren grumbles.

"Why do you think our enemies struggle so much against us? Now shut up, my grip is slipping."

That's so dumb. Why would they not have a titan slaying method in place? These pure titans are worse than wild beasts. They eat whatever humans they can get their hands on, sides be damned. When releasing wild animals like that, why wouldn't you have a fail-safe for when they turn their attention towards you? Just like how Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier, was chosen to kill Eren. This is just a recipe for disaster. Hell, it's a shock for Eren that this kind of situation doesn't happen more often.

Someone jumps into the pit. A flash of lightening quickly follows, revealing Zeke's Beast. Looks like Zeke got desperate enough to jump in, even if the Beast Titan can't fight. Eren wonders if it's under orders or if Zeke ignored orders to stand down. From what Kruger said, Eren won't be shocked if it's the latter.

"It's not going for Zeke," Eren notes.

"An abnormal?" Kruger groans. "We'll have to wait for Zeke to distract it somehow."

Something about this situation bothers Eren. What is it now? He doesn't know how much of his experiences in his own world applies here, but the behaviors of pure titans seem the same enough that he can make good enough guesses. While an abnormal titan would go for where there are more people (from how many people are gathered right above Kruger and Eren, it would be attracted to that), would they really ignore a titan shifter that's more accessible right in front of them? No, it's not just that. There's something else that's bothering him. But what?

He hears the faint sounds of something straining. Is Kruger having trouble holding them up? Shit. Okay. He needs to think faster and-

"Kruger! Here's a rope! Can you grab it?"

"Eren, grab it," Kruger tells him.

Right. One of Kruger's hand is holding them by the side of the wall. The other is gripping Eren. If Kruger were to let go of either to grab the rope, it'll be hell for the two of them.

Eren grabs the rope and securely wraps it twice around his hand. Then he motions for Kruger to let him go.

"You sure your grip is good?" Kruger asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Here's the rope. Tie it around your waist."

Kruger's scowl twitches into a smirk for a second. "Careful there. You sound almost like a decent person."

"Shut up and take the rope, old man."

While Kruger grabs the offered rope, Eren glances at how Zeke is handling the other titan. It's a mess, to say the least. The Beast's long limbs make it awkward to fight. At least, the typical techniques that they've all learned as Warrior Candidates won't apply here. But it's distracting the titan enough...

Actually, the titan isn't even fighting back. It's not trying to eat Zeke in any way. And now that Eren thinks about it, how did the titans back in his own world react to humans standing on top of walls, looking down at them? They were always greedily reaching for them, weren't they?

But this pure titan didn't claw at the wall in hopes of trying to get Kruger and Eren at all.

Actually, now that he's thinking about it more calmly, he's starting to recall what happened back then in his own world. He didn't face off against the Beast Titan himself, so he can't comment on that. But there were pure titans by the Beast's side back then. They all stood in a nice semi-circle, watching for any signs of escapees. As if they could think... No.

As if they were following orders.

Orders...?

"It's a bit loose, but it's tied," Kruger announces. "Why haven't you climbed up?"

Right now, even as the Beast Titan is attacking it, the pure titan's eyes are trained on them. On them...? When it's being attacked? When there's a shifter right in front of it to eat?

"That titan isn't going to eat us."

"Shut up and climb," Kruger snaps.

No one is going to listen. Of course not. He already knew that, didn't he? No one ever listens to him. This world or not. If he wants them to listen, he needs to act.

"What are you...?"

Eren lets go.

*

Kruger desperately reaches for him, but it's too late. Or maybe it's that Kruger's tired from hanging for their lives. He misses Eren.

The titan moves as Eren predicted it would. It rushes to Eren, ignoring Zeke's attempts at making it stay away. Zeke must have gotten desperate, because he yells out.

"Don't you dare eat him!"

Eren lands in the titan's open hands. And as Zeke ordered, it does not make any attempt to eat Eren. It just stares at Eren with its giant eyes.

Is this the same kind of uneasy awe the Survey Corps members felt when they stood next to Eren's titan for the first time?

"Eren!" Zeke calls out.

The Beast's long limbs reach for him and easily pluck him out of the pure titan's hands. That seems to have relaxed Zeke somewhat. He doesn't say anything more and instead places Eren up by the edge of the pit. Then he helps Kruger up. Once the two of them are safe, he exits his titan and climbs out of the pit.

Magath makes sure all three of them are solid ground before giving the order to kill the titan below. Then he turns his angry scowl towards Eren.

"You idio-"

"Why did you do that?! You shouldn't have killed it!" Eren snaps. "He didn't eat me, just like Zeke ordered him. That titan was different!"

If Eren takes a step back and thinks about it logically, he understands where Magath is coming from. It's hard not to.

But he finds that slap harsh of a punishment anyways.

"I told you to stay away from this pit, did I not?" Magath asks. "I told you that it was dangerous."

Eren closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes when he's ready to face Magath again.

"Yes, sir. You did, sir."

That seems to calm Magath considerably. "Marcel, you take the rest of the division to the cabin."

"I'll lead you," Officer Kuhn offers.

"Follow him," Magath tells them. Then he turns to Zeke. "You and I are going to discuss next steps."

Eren can't even muster words of protest as Marcel takes his hand and leads him away.

*

"I-I'm... glad you're okay," Marcel says softly as they follow behind Kuhn.

The others stay in tense silence. Eren assumes it's partly because of the Marleyan officer with them, and other part because of what just happened. That's probably for the best that they're staying quiet. Eren doesn't really know what to say himself.

An awkward silence settles. Marcel doesn't try to speak again.

*

There are six cabins further in the woods. Kuhn directs them to one of them, so Eren assumes that this is the one for "Eldians," which is far more luxurious than he expected.

"I need to do something quick. You guys behave in here," Kuhn tells them.

Once the door clicks close, Porco grabs Eren by the front of his shirt, careful to not grab Eren's scarf for once.

"Did you or did you not release the rope on purpose?"

Eren knows what he should say. He knows what Porco wants to hear. But he also respects Porco enough to tell the truth.

"On purpose."

He braces himself for a punch, but that's probably thinking too highly of Porco. Porco mercilessly headbutts Eren. And damn it, Porco. What the hell is your head made out of? Is that why reasoning and logic doesn't stick for him? Because his head is made out of rocks?

"Stupid! Idiot! Buttface! Why the hell do you never think about us? What the hell are we supposed to do if you die again?!"

It's this lecture again.

How many times must Eren hear it before it finally sinks in that his careless actions have consequences? There was no need to prove to everyone that that pure titan obeyed Zeke's order. They would have ran another test after everyone was safe. There was no need for Eren to let go of the rope. Eventually, all the tests would have pointed to the truth. Magath isn't stupid. He wouldn't have stopped the tests until they have arrived on a solid conclusion. 

"I... I'm sorry," Eren stammers. "I-I didn't... I wasn't..."

Porco's arms feel comforting around him. Was it always this reassuring to be held in someone's arms like this? No, that's not it. It's not because someone's arms are around him. It's because it's someone who cares deeply for him and he cares just as much back.

"Please, I'm begging you," Porco whispers, "stop leaving me behind."

Pieck clears her throat. "We're all still here, you know."

Porco doesn't release Eren. Instead, his grip tightens and he buries his face against Eren's red scarf, quite possibly to hide his blush.

"This is my time," he grumbles against the scarf. "Lecture him afterwards."

Wait. Lecture...?

Eren turns to the rest of them who all seem to be waiting for Porco to get off. When his eyes meet Marcel's, Marcel gives a sheepish smile.

"Well, you didn't think Porco saying something will be satisfying for all of us?"

Oh, come on...

*

It takes about an hour for all of them to rip into Eren, lecturing about how selfish he is for not thinking of them. After that, they explore the cabin and fight over who gets to sleep where. It takes about three hours since they first got to this cabin for Zeke to finally join them (By this point, all of them have collapsed in the common area by the entrance, starving).

Zeke doesn't look like he has been traumatized or upset, which Eren takes as a good sign. Are they planning on doing more tests here tomorrow? It's probably too dark to do anything more today. So that means it's time for dinner, right?

"Eren," Magath calls as he makes a small motion with his head. "With me."

That can't be good.

With a small nod to Zeke to save him a plate of food, Eren follows Magath out the cabin.

*

The two walk a bit of ways away from the cabin area and into the woods. Eren prepares himself to run at any moment's notice. He just hopes that his reaction time would be fast enough if Magath pulls out a gun and... Wait a minute. Why is he so worried about Magath killing him? As long as the prediction of the Rumbling stays overhead, Magath won't be able to kill him like that.

But physically injure him so he can't walk...?

"You know, I've had various people tell me that I should put you away. Stop taking you out on missions. That it's too dangerous for someone who is currently the only person who can change the Attack Titan's predictions to be out and about the way I let you roam. I told every single one of them off and defended your right to be out with your comrades. Do you know why?"

To make sure that he falls for the trap, right? After all, Eren truly believed it was Magath that jumped in to catch him. And as long as Eren believes in his Marleyan commander, what won't they be able to accomplish?

But that's not something that he can say.

"Would you clue me in, sir?" Eren asks as formally as he can.

Magath glances at him for a second before continuing to walk. "I need you to be an information sponge. Everything you see, everything you hear, absorb it all. And when the time comes, use that knowledge to aid you in changing predictions."

All of that, just to change the prediction of the Rumbling? No, no. Magath is clearly expecting Eren to stick around for a long while, changing all sorts of predictions. But even if you give it that, this feels like there's something a bit off. What is it?

"That's why I'm willing to give you one more chance." Magath stops walking to turn to glare Eren down.

It clicks.

It's not that Magath needs someone to keep changing predictions (After all, there must be predictions that even he doesn't want changing). It's that he needs Eren's loyalty. By phrasing it as some vague "other Marleyans" doesn't want to let Eren have freedom, Magath makes himself the good guy. On top of that, he even goes out of his way to show mercy by offering another chance.

He wants Eren to believe that Magath is the only Marleyan who will ever take his side. A reliable commander who will guarantee freedom.

And it might have worked if Eren didn't have Erwin Smith as his commanding officer beforehand.

"I won't do it again, sir," Eren promises.

Magath's expression screams that he doesn't trust Eren's words in the slightest. But Eren has learned a bit too much about his commander to be anything but earnest.

With a soft sigh, Magath nods. "Alright. Let's leave..."

He pauses and holds his finger up in the air. Hm? Did he notice something? Eren tilts his head, trying to figure out what Magath found.

It takes a second before he finally hears faint clicking sounds.

Clicking...?

Magath makes a motion to be quiet and leads the way.

*

They find Officer Kuhn with a strange device that's making these clicking and beeping sounds further in the woods. Eren has read about devices like that, but no one allowed him to ever touch the ones in the headquarter.

A morse code transmitter.

But why is Kuhn using one in the middle of the woods? To talk to his sick brother? Or, more likely...

Magath makes a motion for Eren to stay and pulls out a pistol. He approaches Kuhn silently. It's rather terrifying how well Magath can move. He's not a commander just in name, that's for sure.

Magath presses his gun against the back of Kuhn's head.

"Want to explain yourself before I fire?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Apparently, he was working for Hizuru. His little brother has a terminal illness. Hizuru implied that they might have a cure if he could get them a bit of information. That was our bad for not doing a more thorough background check before bringing him along on with us," Kruger reports.
> 
> Theo has a half a mind to ask what happened to that little spy, but he gets the feeling that it's better he doesn't. The Public Security Authorities are in charge of "discovering" traitorous Eldians, so they must have plenty of ways of making people talk, Eldian or not.
> 
> "From the sounds of things, it doesn't seem like he gave too much about Zeke away. But I imagine anything about Eren is already in their hands," Theo sighs.
> 
> Damn it. Just when they're about to figure out one headache, another one explodes in his face.
> 
> "Taking him around on missions like that is dangerous," Kruger says, just like everyone else does.
> 
> To be honest, Theo is just a second away from agreeing to the Tybur Family's offer of locking Eren up somewhere safe and secure. Somewhere far away from any threats to his life. That will make sure that this dumbass of a child stops putting his life in danger, right? 
> 
> "Unfortunately, that's not an option."
> 
> Kruger shrugs. "Don't complain when he dies."
> 
> Ugh. What an ass.
> 
> But still, this Hizuru situation ended up becoming rather perfect for his next steps.


	21. no, i didn't just remember gabi and falco. and if i did, you have no proof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "They're denying the whole thing, of course," Calvi says, shaking his head in disgust. "Claims that you're making things up. That they've never heard of this 'Kuhn' guy."
> 
> No shock. The Hizuru has always been slippery to begin with. There's no way that they'll allow themselves to get caught that easily. 
> 
> "An excuse to go to their country might reveal more information," Theo says lightly.
> 
> Calvi looks disgusted. "By that, you mean we should send bunch of Eldians to Hizuru?"
> 
> "That would be the fastest way."
> 
> "Tch. Even I haven't gotten the chance to go on a vacation to Hizuru! The hell do I have to send your division?"
> 
> Ah yes. The great leader of the Marleyan nation is now throwing a fit. At times like these, it's better to change the topic. Theo can't believe he's thinking this, but he feels that he's gotten much better at handling these types of tantrums from the general since Eren came back from the dead.
> 
> "By the way, how's the situation with transferring Officer Kruger looking?"
> 
> Calvi makes a face. "Even worse than this. Why does it even have to be him? Doesn't he hate Eldians? Not to mention you had to pick a Public Security Authorities officer! Do you know how much paperwork is involved in transferring someone outside of my jurisdiction?"
> 
> It's not like Calvi's the one that'll be doing it.
> 
> "It'll probably go through in about a month."
> 
> "And in that time, you'll arrange a reason for us to go to Hizuru?"
> 
> Calvi narrows his eyes. "Careful, Magath. You've been treading a thin line recently."
> 
> "I'll keep that in mind. The Hizuru trip?"
> 
> The dissatisfied scowl on Calvi's face is more than reward enough for Theo.
> 
> "Yeah, yeah. You'll have your damned trip."

Eren thought that with the titan healing, the Warriors would stop by the clinic less. This turned out to be false, which lets Eren know that these kids have all been using the clinic as a place to hang out. Eren isn't too sure which is better. For them to be using the Hoover Bakery or the Jaeger Clinic.

That said, it's not like any of them disturb the patients while they stop by. So Eren supposes it's fine.

"Colt!" Eren yells as he rushes into the clinic. He heard his friend's voice while walking through the hallway, so he decided to say hello.

It's not just Colt. His family is here with a little baby.

"Little Colt!" Eren exclaims. He runs to Colt's mom who is holding the baby. "He's so tiny! Colt, how come you never told me there was a tiny version of you?"

"Oh, you forgot Falco?" Colt asks, sounding honestly shocked.

"Your name is Falco? Ahhh, that's so cute! How old are you?" Eren asks the small baby, who looks up at him with wide eyes.

Colt's mom laughs. "He was born here about... two and a half years ago now?"

"Yes, that sounds right. They grow up so fast!" Eren's grandpa says with a soft smile.

Two and a half? So approximately about a year or so before Eren arrived in this world. Wow, has it already been that long since he came here?

"Did you know, Falco? Your big brother is really cool. So you have nothing to worry about. Grow up strong and reliable like him, okay?"

Eren pokes Falco's cheek for good measure. Feeling satisfied, he straightens to look at the rest of them and... Huh? Why are they all staring at him like that? And why is Colt so red? Does he have a fever? Well, lucky him. This is a clinic.

"I-I didn't realize t-that you f-felt that way about m-me," Colt says.

Oh! Is he embarrassed because Eren complimented him? Hehe. That's cute. Then maybe Eren will lay it a bit thickly for a bit longer.

"Of course, I do! Who else do I rely on but you? So next time we need to deal with an angry Magath, I'll leave it to you!"

Colt nods, enthused. "Yeah! You can leave it to... Hey, wait a minute!"

Eren bursts out laughing. Possibly because of the good mood, little Falco giggles as well.

*

"So how come I don't have a cute little sibling?" Eren asks his mom and dad over dinner.

Faye lets out a sound like she's laughing a them, but she covers her face so well that it's hard to tell. Eren's grandparents just exchanged a look they probably thought was discrete, but Eren saw that. His dad looks awkward about something, but his mom smiles knowingly.

"But you do have a little sister, Eren. Don't you remember?"

He has a...? Why did he immediately think of Mikasa? Except no, that can't be right. Mikasa is older than he is. She went to great lengths to remind him of that whenever she wanted to the biggest slice of the pie.

"I do...?"

"Little Gabi. Does Reiner not talk about her?"

What does Reiner have to do with this?

Grisha lets out a small sound of understanding. "That's right, Eren. You have Gabi."

Gabi? Who?

"Reiner never mentioned anyone named Gabi," Eren says with a frown. "Is she really my little sister?"

"Why don't you give Reiner a visit tonight?" comes his mom's teasing words.

"Oh, I have some apples for you to take if you're going!" his grandma says.

*

Holding the basket of apples in his arms, Eren makes his way to Reiner's place. Now that he thinks about it, it's always Reiner and his mom coming to visit the clinic. But he hasn't been to their place before.

The house that Reiner lives in isn't anything fancy. It's definitely not as big as the clinic, which only makes sense. But it looks to be a big house for one woman and two children to live. So...?

He knocks on the door. A woman Eren doesn't recall meeting opens it.

"Yes?" she asks. When she spots Eren, she smiles. "Eren! It's been so long! Are you here for Reiner? Oh, are those apples for us?"

She clearly knows him. But he has no idea who this is.

He tries to smile, but he's sure that she can feel his confusion. "A-apples are for you. A-and yes. I'm here for Reiner. A-and... i-if it's not too much trouble, may I see Gabi?"

*

Gabi, it turns out, is Reiner's cousin. She was born around when Falco was. And to make sure that Gabi's mom had the support and help she needed, Reiner and Karina moved in with them. The arrangement must have been good for all parties involved, seeing that it's still in place. That makes plenty of sense. With three working adults and Reiner's Warrior pay, it must be easier to take care of the bills, groceries, and a newborn child.

"Hi Gabi," Eren greets.

She stares at him for a while longer before bursting into tears. Eren decides he prefers Falco immediately.

"Oh, Gabi," her mom sighs as she lifts her daughter up. "It's Eren! I know you haven't seen him in a while, but you don't recognize him at all?"

The baby makes no move to stop crying. She glares at Eren as if blaming all the world's wrong on him. Eren can't even blame her. If a random stranger came up to him to breath down on him while claiming to know him, he'd react badly, too. Falco is clearly the odd one out.

"I'll visit more often so that Gabi doesn't think I'm a stranger," Eren vows.

Gabi's mom's smile softly. "That would help a ton."

"Eren!" Reiner calls quietly from the doorway. "Let's go!"

*

By "go," Reiner really meant walking Eren back.

"I don't even get to see your room?" Eren grumbles with a pout.

Reiner makes a face. "The walls of the house are really thin. When Gabi starts to cry, it echoes everywhere."

"Do you not like her? You never mentioned that you had a little cousin since... since I lost my memories."

"I-I like her!" Reiner protests. "It's just... really hard to get sleep at nights. And... I don't really like how I have to keep sharing you with everyone."

And since Reiner has to share his mom with Gabi now, he's probably even more sensitive about that. Hehe. This Reiner is so much cuter than the one from his own world.

Eren takes Reiner's hand, giggling. "C'mon, Reiner! Even if you have to share me for a short while, it doesn't mean our friendship changes."

That half-pleased and half-amused smile on Reiner's face is quite adorable. Eren hopes that these kids won't grow up anything like those miserable traitors.

*

"So what does your mom do?"

"Mainly the housekeeping. She used to take a side job as a seamstress, but she's been more focused on taking care of Gabi," Reiner explains.

No wonder she was so gung-ho about Reiner becoming a Warrior. She doesn't work, so they need the money from another source.

"So if your dad joins you, he'll be able to help out with the bills."

Reiner blinks, shocked. "Y-yeah. I guess he would. I... guess I never really thought about it."

Never thought about...? Is it because Reiner didn't have a dad before? But wouldn't he imagine what having a dad is like by seeing how others act with their dad? Or maybe it's just the bills that he never thought of?

"I mean everything. About what it means to have a dad. What would change in my life... I just never thought about it. Mom said that we'd be a happy family. But I'm not sure what that looks like in conjunction to me and my life."

Is... that normal? Eren isn't sure. He thinks he would have imagined what life would be like if he was in Reiner's shoes. But he has never been in Reiner's shoes. He doesn't know what he would have thought, what he would have done. Except who cares about that kind of a hypothetical situation?

Reiner said that this is how he's feeling. Reiner shared with Eren what he wants to do.

Eren's focus should be how best to help Reiner right now. Not on imagined nothings that will never be.

"Do you no longer want to look for your dad?"

From the way Reiner hesitates, Eren has the answer.

"Hey, it's fine. This is for you. If you want to sweep it under the rug and do something else, I'm fine with that. Let's do what makes you the most comfortable."

"You... don't think I'm selfish? I-I mean... if dad came and joined us, then I know mom will be super happy. A-and... didn't I become a Warrior to make mom happy and to unite my family? S-so... don't you think it's bad of me to give up on that?"

Is it? Eren isn't sure. Armin used to say that "bad" and "good" were relative. What's good for one person won't necessarily be so for another. Even in a situation like this that Reiner insists is bad, Eren doesn't think that's all there is to the story. For example, isn't it also possible that Reiner's dad has a new family? Or that he just won't be interested in giving up his Marleyan title to be with his family. If Eren thinks about that, then isn't it a "good" thing that Reiner gave up? So that Reiner won't be hurt by the reality of being an Eldian.

"I don't think it's something that can be divided into 'good' or 'bad' like that. And... this is going to be really rude to your mom, but I er... don't really care whether she's happy, you know? Urk, that sounds so bad. But it's how I feel. Like, if her happiness was a byproduct of yours, then that's cool. But if the choice was your happiness or hers, then I'd rather you be happy any day."

What does that blank look on Reiner's face mean? Were Eren's words too calloused? B-but it can't be helped! Eren only had Armin and Mikasa in his own world. All of them were orphans, so it's not like Eren really knows how to deal with a friend's parental unit. The best he's got is Jean, but Jean's mom is a thousand times more agreeable than Jean, so that's not really helpful.

"I-I don't mean I want your mom to be unhappy or anything. I just... want you to be happier. D-does that make-"

Reiner throws his arms around Eren and squeezes tightly.

But what does that mean?

Did Reiner want Eren to stop talking? Maybe he was aiming for Eren's throat but then realized that he didn't want to get in trouble for killing the only one who can change his predictions? Or maybe-

"Thank you."

There's a lump in Eren's throat. His chest feels heavy with an emotion he doesn't want to name.

Although he's being thanked, he feels like he has cursed Reiner instead.

* * *

"My... what?" Kruger asks in eloquently.

Magath's expression doesn't change, but it's clear that he's smug as hell. Damn him.

He knows that this is to his advantage. Now he can keep an eye on Zeke and Eren both without having to wait for a mission. But to have to readjust his mannerism to a Marleyan Commander is going to be such a pain...

"Promotion. You'll no longer be reporting to the Public Security Authorities but to me."

"I'm sure others have already told you of my reputation in regards to Eldians. So why me?"

It can't be that his identity as Owl has been found out. That wouldn't warrant a promotion. Unless Magath is trying to use this chance to catch the rest of the Eldian Restorationists? This promotion might be a cover to hide the fact that Kruger will now be under heavy watch.

"Because despite that reputation, you jumped in after Eren into a pit with a titan."

... If that's what this is about, then Kruger has more than enough excuses to deflect.

"Aren't the Eldians of the Warrior Division Marley's prized weapons?"

Magath doesn't seem very convinced. "So it's okay to kick them around a bit, but it's not okay to let them die?"

"I never hit anywhere vital."

Eren and Marcel probably both got looked over by Grisha after their meeting. That means there's a third-party who should be able to vouch for Kruger's words right now. His cover is too cleverly woven for Magath to peer through.

For now.

"That's fine by me. Maybe it'll finally teach that brat a lesson," Magath says with a shrug.

... What the hell is he being so flippant for? If Magath is this lax, then doesn't it come off as Kruger wasn't discovered? But is that part of the plan? Or is Magath just yanking Kruger around as a fellow Marleyan? Which is it?

"That... brat?"

Magath's lips pull into a humorless smirk. "Eren, of course. You will be directly in charge of him and Colt as my second in command. While I deal with the Warriors, you'll deal with the Warrior Candidates."

Wait...

"As part of your welcome, I've arranged this stack of papers for you to go through. So you can get familiar with how our division works."

Kruger glances at the first paper at the top. No matter how he looks at it, isn't this paperwork...?

"Are you seriously setting me to work on the day you tell me of a 'promotion?'"

Magath's smirk looks as slimy as Marleyan's always does. "You'll get used to it."

*

That damned Marleyan meant it when he said that Kruger will be dealing with the Warrior Candidates. All the paperwork here are about the trouble that "magically" happened near Eren. Kruger isn't stupid. He can read between the lines. This huge stack of papers are all incidents Eren caused or had a hand in that have been worded carefully to dodge the blame for property damage. How a single child can manage to cause this much trouble is beyond him.

In one case, a fruit stand suddenly and unexpectedly collapsed near Eren. It was investigated to be an accident, but because some of the fruits "disappeared" (Kruger assumes that they were crushed or rolled away) and the Warrior Division members were right there, the stand owner is pushing for the Warrior Division to reimburse them. Reading just that, one might believe that the Warriors are innocent. But Kruger remembers a Public Security Authorities officer talking about this case. The Warrior Division members present at the time most definitely stole the fruits, which only makes sense that they destroyed the stand as well.

"Honestly, I'm shocked that you don't keep him on a tighter leash."

Magath, who is going through his own stack of paperwork (Surprisingly, he's a diligent enough guy, even if he's slimy), snorts. "What do you think that red scarf of his is?"

"You're far too lax with him," Kruger insists. "Why do you take him on every mission, anyways? Are you so worried a mission will go wrong that you need him there, despite this trouble? No wonder he's such a brat. You let him get away with too much."

It takes Kruger a second to realize that Magath has stopped working to stare at him.

"What?" Kruger asks, scowling.

"What do you think my goals are? Why do you think I risk taking that child out to dangerous missions - also risking my own stress levels, by the way? What do you think I'm trying to get out of this?"

Is Magath asking that to check on Kruger's ability to think? Or is he asking that because he suspects Kruger of being Owl? Which is it? How should Kruger answer without drawing suspicion to himself?

"To be honest, I can't help but to think that you're an egoist. You claim that this child is important but you take no precautions to keep him safe. Then when the child invites trouble, you punish him instead of setting it up so that he would never have been near that trouble in the first place."

"For a man known for hating Eldians, you're quite fond of Eren, aren't you?" Magath asks.

Kruger has played this game too long to fall for that. He calmly looks to Magath, who is pretending to be suddenly enamored with his paperwork.

"I am questioning your ability to lead, commander."

After a bit of a pause, Magath finally looks to Kruger. "And I was questioning your ability to reason. It's unfortunate, but you failed."

Does that mean Kruger doesn't have this promotion and can leave now?

"When your reasoning skills get better, I'll clue you in."

Magath returns to the paperwork like he's some kind of a cool superior talking to a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. Typical Marleyan, pretending to be wise. Kruger bets that he has no real plan and is just putting up airs.

Well, no. That's not quite fair. Out of the Marleyan heads right now, Magath is the most calculating. He has something planned. He has to. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to spark ire to change the Warrior Division to what it is now. He wouldn't be constantly pushing the top brass for more funding, more missions.

No, no. This man is a snake.

Figuring out this snake's plan will be Kruger's top priority here.

*

The members of the Warrior Division tense at the sight of him, no shock.

"Kruger here will be working with us from now on," Magath tells them. "We're still figuring out what his rank should be. But for now, feel free to continue to refer to him as 'Officer.'"

Oh, is that how things are? It would have been really nice if they actually told Kruger of what the hell's going on instead of springing things on him like this.

"Did you lose your job because you kept kicking kids?" Eren asks, looking at Kruger with a pitying shake of the head.

How does he manage to strike up the urge to strangle him within minutes of meeting someone just by opening his mouth?

"Eren, your speaking privileges have been revoked for the rest of the day," Magath says.

"What?! No way! I have five tries! You said I have five tries!"

"And you lost all five."

You would think this was a day care instead of a military division.

"Sir, if I may be so bold? What brought about this... change?" Marcel asks Kruger with a tight smile.

"Believe me, if I had a choice, I wouldn't be here," Kruger assures him. He makes a small motion at Magath. "Your commander insisted."

Magath doesn't even bat his eyelashes at the blatant attempt to throw him under a car. "He'll be in charge of watching the Warrior Candidates. There will not be another repeat of last week, understand?"

... What the hell happened last week? The paperwork Kruger handled dated further back, so those were most likely backlogged work. Then did Magath hide whatever it was that happened from Kruger on purpose? There wasn't any whispers of rumors that Kruger heard. So it couldn't have been anything too bad, right? But if that's true, then why do the children look so guilty?

"It wasn't our fault that the dogs weren't tied. How were we sup-"

A single glare from Magath shuts Eren up immediately. Kruger makes a note to try that in the future. It seems like a handy tool to have.

"If that's everything, shall we begin our zoo trip?"

... Come again? They're going where? Why wouldn't Magath tell this to Kruger beforehand so he could skip today?

Magath glances at Kruger and smirks. "I leave the Warrior Candidates to you."

Kruger sees exactly why no one likes the Warrior Division. And it has surprisingly a lot less to do with the Eldians or Eren.

*

"It's weird that you're here," Eren says, looking at Kruger without any hint of fear.

They're currently riding a carriage to the Marleyan zoo. Although Kruger is supposed to take care of the Warrior Candidates, the Galliard brothers and Bertolt are in the carriage with him. He knows it's because the carriage can only carry so many children, so this was a compromise. It wasn't Magath shoving all the problem kids on Kruger.

But man, does it feel like it.

"Didn't you lose your speaking privilege?" Kruger asks.

Eren grins. "Magath isn't here, so it's fine!"

Kruger is half a second away from reminding Eren that they're still in Marley territory when Marcel speaks up.

"Sir, I've been wondering. But did you... want to be here?"

What a rude question. Kruger was under the impression that aside from Eren, the members of the Warrior Division are all well-behaved and good children. But it seems that the only good kid among them is Zeke. Jeesh, what are their parents teaching them? Don't they realize how dangerous it is to play with fire like that?

"If I had a choice, do you really think I would choose to work with Eldians?"

Marcel tilts his head to the side, probably over-analyzing those words. Kruger hasn't decided whether that's a good thing or not.

"It's too bad that you weren't hired earlier," Eren continues, seemingly uncaring of how nervous his comrades look. "Then you'd have seen more of the zoo than just the birds today."

Unlike the museum, the zoo doesn't normally shut everything down for cleaning or renovation. If they need to, they close parts of it at a time. The Warrior Division has been taking advantage of that. When a portion of the zoo is closed for whatever reason, Magath puts in a request for the division to visit it.

Today's visit is to the birds.

"I'm fine with not going at all," Kruger says.

"What's your favorite bird?" Eren asks, ignoring Kruger's negativity. He grins mischievously, letting Kruger know exactly what he's aiming for. "I like crows."

"You would. I'm rather fond of falcons."

"Eh? Really? I thought you'd like owls. But I guess those birds are too smart for you!"

... Damned brat.

"Falcons are actually pretty smart," Marcel says lightly.

There's a look on his face that Kruger isn't too sure how to read. But he has successfully diverted Eren's attention away from Kruger and towards discussion of birds that the other children are joining. Was that on purpose to stop Eren from interacting with Kruger any longer?

If so, then Kruger hopes Marcel keeps that up for the rest of the day.

*

His worries, it turns out, are for naught. The minute the kids arrive at location, they're completely enamored with the animals to give Kruger another second of attention. The staff seems more or less used to this (how often have they come here?) and quickly lead the members of the Warrior Division to the bird cages.

"Really? We can feed them today?" Eren asks one of the staff excitedly.

Kruger feels like that's trouble waiting to explode. He glances over at Magath, who seems just as excited as the children to feed the birds. It's not for Eren, Kruger realizes with a start.

This man just wanted to goof off and is using these children as an excuse.

"Am I... the only adult here...?"

*

"Aren't you going to join in?" Eren asks as he curiously stares up at Kruger.

This has "trap" written all over it. And Kruger isn't such a good person that he'll purposefully fall for it.

"Why don't you go talk to your brother? He looks like he's struggling with that parrot."

Eren doesn't even glance in Zeke's direction. Instead, he looks imploringly at Kruger. Damn this brat. What the hell is he planning to do?

"Not interested. Go bother your commander."

"I'll tell you a really cool secret," Eren offers with a cheeky smile. "It's a super important and cool secret. If you don't hear it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Kruger bets it's about something dumb like Reiner's favorite color. But it's interesting enough that he's willing to give it two more second's worth of attention.

"Alright. What do you want?"

Eren motions for Kruger to come closer, so he does. The child looks around quickly to make sure that no one else is watching them and...

Places bird seeds in Kruger's hand.

"Feed the birds with me. If you do, I'll tell you!"

The bright grin on Eren's face makes him look like a friendly little kid, completely contrary to the truth that Kruger knows. What is this kid planning on doing? Spread seeds on Kruger while he isn't looking so the birds attack him? It's such a childish thing to do, so Kruger won't put it past him.

"Alright. Fine. Which bird?"

Eren's wide grin already makes Kruger regret this decision.

"That one."

Ah, of course. This damned brat of a child chose an owl. He dares to smile innocently at Kruger like this is something that happens every day. A quick glance assures Kruger that everyone seems to be distracted by Zeke's attempts to calm the parrot, which has now escalated to the point of calling in even the staff members. He wonders how long that distraction will last.

"Alright. Fine. I'll humor you."

*

The owl in the cage is at least an agreeable creature that seems willing to ignore the two of them if it means eating.

"First of all, congratulations on your job change," Eren says lightly.

Is he being sarcastic? It doesn't feel like he's trying to pick a fight. But Kruger won't put it past this child.

"Second, if you hurt any of the Warrior Division members, I'll kill you."

Don't say that with such a sweet smile. People will think you're a maniac... Well, more than usual, that is.

"Third, watch out. These birds like to poop on... Oh. Too late."

Kruger hears rather than feels the wet splosh on his shoulder. Damn them all. They're all trying his patience in the worst way. Can he really survive long on a division with them?

"Was that all of your 'cool' secret you had?" Kruger asks.

"Oh, you actually wanted to know my cool secret?" Eren's eyes are bright in excitement.

No. Please spare Kruger.

"Commander Magath keeps his liquor in the second drawer of his desk!"

Does Kruger want to know how Eren got this information?

"You know, I've been wondering why my liquor was disappearing. It was you, wasn't it you, you damned brat?" Magath asks.

It's a good thing Kruger didn't say or do anything that would give away that he's Owl. That could have ended up bad. But as it is, looks like just Eren will be getting in trouble (rightfully so. What kind of a monster puts another man's stash of alcohol on the line?) for this.

"I-I didn't drink it!" Eren protests.

Kruger raises a brow. "So what else did you do with it?"

Eren's eyes go wide as he looks at the two adults glaring him down. He seems to understand his position, because his expression falls.

"I don't like you two working together."

How low has Kruger fallen for that to make his lips twitch into a smile?

*

"Magath's reason? He mentioned once about how he wanted me to be an information sponge," Eren informs Kruger when they're finally able to be in private (which, by the way, took nearly two weeks).

"Why would a Marleyan want to give that much power to an Eldian?" Kruger mumbles to himself.

Eren tilts his head. "Power? It's just commonly found information, though. If you can readily get this by looking around you, then can it really be counted as a power?"

"Don't underestimate how much you can hide in plain sight. An average person picks up a lot more than they realize."

"You know, I just assumed that Magath wanted to get my trust by doing this. But that's too naive, isn't it? There's something more that he has planned?"

Kruger nods. "It's too suspicious otherwise. There's no way a Marleyan would suddenly feel fond of an Eldian enough to allow for something like that. There has to be something else."

There's a look on Eren's face that seems like he's pitying something. That child better not be aiming that gaze at Kruger.

"And for that reason, both of you were pooped on by an owl..."

"You are a damned brat, you know that?"

*

The further complication is dealing with the Eldian Restorationists. On one hand, none of them know who he is (It's possible that Zeke knows his identity, now that Eren knows. But Zeke never dropped any sign that he knows, so Kruger isn't sure if Eren actually even said anything). If he were to continue to lead them in secret as he has, nothing will change. But the problem is that Magath is much sharper than the Public Security Authorities officers.

It's bad enough that this asshole keeps piling up the paperwork for Kruger to fill out. But it also feels like he's been keeping tabs on what Kruger does by using work as an excuse.

There isn't any sign that Magath has put together that Kruger is Owl of Eldian Restorationists. But there isn't any sure proof that he hasn't either. On top of that, there's that stupid riddle that Magath has asked.

_"What do you think my goals are?"_

"I heard from Eren that you told him to be an information sponge," Kruger admits one evening.

The two are staying late in the headquarter with stacks of paperwork between them. Kruger has no doubts that the sheer amount of this would be greatly reduced if they were to just stop that child from speaking at the very least, especially if they're not going to tie him up somewhere and leave him where he will never bother another human ever again. But Magath hasn't shown any sign of stopping Eren from having his freedom.

"And I've seen how you twist the reports to dodge any blame and to keep Eren out of them. On top of all of that, you give him far more freedom than any Eldians should have. My conclusion is that you are more fond of that kid than a normal division leader would be. Tell me, Magath. You fucked an Eldian girl?"

It's a well-known "secret" of Liberio. Unlike most other places in Marley (or the world, for that matter), the Eldians here are treated much better. The reason for that is very simple. Quite a lot of the Eldians here have Marleyan blood mixed in. In other words, there's quite a lot of Marleyans in Liberio who take a shine on Eldians enough to have a child with them. That child, of course, will be treated as an Eldian and locked in the interment zone. Both Reiner and Annie of the Warrior Division fall under this category. Therefore, it is a reasonable assumption to come to in Liberio. When a Marleyan is being a little too nice to an Eldian child, the chances are high that that kid is that Marleyan's offspring. 

Magath, to his credit, stares blankly at Kruger for a second. Then he covers his face and laughs. Is this a "You're an idiot" kind of laugh or a "I can't believe someone figured it out" kind of laugh? Kruger is certain it can't be the latter, since Carla Jaeger is most definitely faithful to her husband. But to think that it is the former makes him rather peeved. 

"I see. So that's what it looks like from the outside," Magath says once his laughter has been controlled. "You tried your best, but that's not quite it. Tell me, Kruger, what is the number one thing that people think of when one hears 'Marley?'"

No questions asked, it's the titans of the Warrior Division.

"That's right. Even though that's not even our own power, that is what we are known for. We boast of conquests and victories won through dishonest means."

Oh? Kruger never thought Magath to be the type to care about something like that. As long as there is victory that you can tally under your name, you can keep climbing ranks in the Marleyan society. For someone who has clearly benefited from that, Magath's words ring hollow.

"But you know what's truly odd? Despite how much we claim to have the Warriors' abilities and powers under our command, we still don't have any effective measures against them. If there's an accident where bunch of pure titans were to be released, we would be completely helpless against them unless the Warriors came to our rescue. Why are we forcibly leaving ourselves to their mercy like this?"

Ah. That's his angle. That makes more sense. It's not the dishonest victory that Magath has issues with. It's the fact that Marley does not have complete control over Eldians and their titan abilities.

Thank god Magath hasn't realized Zeke's lineage.

"You've probably heard of the joking rumors, right? About the 'Rumbling?'"

Kruger nods. "Yes. It's nothing more than a drunkard's tale to scare the new recruits."

"Unfortunately, that's not true. The Attack Titan has already seen it."

Damn it. Kruger had hoped that the previous Attack Titan would have beaten into Reiner to not let that information go. But he supposes that's asking too much from the dead.

"When it happens, even the 'almighty' Marley will crumple." Magath locks his determined eyes on Kruger. "Unless we find a way to destroy titans."

... Wait. This man isn't suggesting?

"I gave Eren as much freedom as he wants so that he will influence as many people as he can. The isolated Tybur family, our enemy soldiers and their generals, our allies, the normal people of Marley, and once the paperwork goes through, the Hizuru as well. I will use this opportunity to change the helpless future of the end of the world into one of us wiping out Paradis and their threats."

If Kruger had been a Marleyan, he imagines that those words would have been inspiring. He imagines that this is when he would have sworn to himself to follow Magath until the ends of the world.

But Kruger is not a Marleyan.

He is but a wolf playing sheep.

Magath's dreams will never come true. Even if Eren can change the future, he will not be able to change the Rumbling. At least, not without going to Paradis.

Knowing the commander's plan, though, calms Kruger down immensely. It turns out that the snake of a man named Magath is just a wide-eyed boy playing at hero.

"I understand. I will help you in any way I can," he lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calvi is in a good mood today. 
> 
> "You're lucky, Magath! You have such a capable leader like me!"
> 
> Theo feels his patience thinning. 
> 
> The General slides over an official invitation over on the desk with a shit-eating grin on his face. The logo on it lets Theo know that it's from Hizuru. 
> 
> Could it be...?
> 
> "We're going to Hizuru? They sent us an invitation to interrogate them?"
> 
> Calvi wags his finger. "Not interrogate. Officially, I'm being invited to their technology fair, open only to nations' greatest leaders. I've decided to take the Warrior Division as my guards for the duration of the fair. Catch what I'm saying?"
> 
> In other words, if the Warrior Division were to take even a single wrong step, they could potentially end up humiliating Calvi on the world stage and end up being dissolved as a division. This isn't a grand showing of Calvi's trust in the Warriors. It's a quiet threat to behave.
> 
> There's no way an idiot like Calvi thought of this plan by himself. Someone else must have planted the idea in his head. 
> 
> But who?
> 
> "I'll prepare my division accordingly."
> 
> "We leave in a week."
> 
> And in that week's time, he's going to have to remind Eren yet again the importance of keeping his mouth shut. This is going to be a long week...


	22. do you hear that? the sound of this story nearing its end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Willy takes a deep breath. He can't believe how nervous he feels. All he's doing is asking Eren to join him on a trip to Hizuru to see the technology fair that his family goes to every year. But, you see, this is the first step. Once Eren sees how much fun it is to spend vacation with the Tybur family, he'll finally start feeling like the missions he's going on aren't that fun after all!
> 
> Then he'll surely take Willy's offer to stay at the Tybur mansion instead of going on dangerous missions and risking his life!
> 
> Just last mission, Eren returned with a sprained wrist. The mission before that was a nasty gash on his leg that made it hard for him to climb a tree to hunt for beetles. It's not always a physical injury, of course. This one time, Eren returned with an upset stomach and couldn't come over to play. 
> 
> Instead of going through this much hardship, wouldn't Eren prefer to spend time leisurely with Willy? 
> 
> "E-Eren, w-w-would you like to c-c-come with me to the technology fair?"
> 
> "Oh, are you guys going, too?" 
> 
> ... "Too" ...? But there's no way an Eldian would ever make enough money to not only buy permits to leave for the duration of the fair, but also to be able to travel to Hizuru and come back. Then... huh? It can't be that the Warrior Division is misusing their money to...?
> 
> "We're going as guards for General Calvi," Eren explains with a grin. "Since we're both going to be there, let's hang out! Oh, I guess I'll need permission from Commander Magath first. But I'm sure he doesn't mind. Once I'm off-duty, let's go and have fun!"
> 
> On the one hand, Willy's plan has turned into yet another utter failure. But on the other hand, he's still getting what he wants. He just needs to focus on that.
> 
> "Yeah! Let's eat the yummiest treats!"

"Something I want?" Carla asks, looking amused.

Eren nods seriously. "Aunt Faye said that she'd appreciate it if I could pick up a can of anko from Hizuru. Grandma said that I should look around for pretty origami papers. Grandpa said that there's this really yummy candy that I should try to bring back. Is there anything you want me to look for while I'm there?"

His mom takes a second to think. She glances over at Grisha, who is scribbling something intensely.

"I can't really think of any. What about you, dear?"

"Perhaps one of those charms that Hizuru shrines are famous for?" Grisha suggests, glancing up from his work.

"Charms?" Eren echoes.

Grisha smiles. "When I was younger, one of my patients gifted me one. I'm not sure if it actually works, but it's pretty neat to have."

"But wouldn't that require Eren to go away from the fair and to a shrine? I doubt he'd be allowed to do that," Carla points out.

"It's alright. Commander Magath's really lax. And if all else fails, I'll ask Willy for help."

"... Willy?" Grisha asks.

"The Tybur kid," Carla explains to him. Then to Eren, she adds, "Be careful, okay? These little gifts don't mean anything if you don't return home safely."

"There's no worry of that! Of course, I'll return!"

But the word "home" stubbornly won't leave his mouth.

*

Eren holds Marcel's bunny doll in his arms as he thinks about how best to approach this current situation.

"You're sitting with me, right?" Porco demands, glaring at Eren.

"He has my doll. Clearly, Eren wants to be with me," Marcel points out with a smile that doesn't quite reach friendliness.

Don't they get tired of arguing this every time they're about to go on an airship? Eren thought his choice was pretty obvious from the fact that he's standing next to Zeke. But maybe-

Bertolt catches Eren's attention and holds up a a clear bag filled with sweets from his family shop.

"I'm sitting with Bertolt!" Eren declares.

"That's cheating!"

*

General Calvi is rather disappointing to look at compared to Magath. Magath carries himself with dignity and pride. Just one look lets you know that he is a military man who has earned his rank. But you'd be hard-pressed to say the same about Calvi.

"I wonder if he gets jealous of Magath," Eren remarks lightly.

Immediately, Porco jabs his side. "Watch what you say. You're going to get in big trouble if you speak carelessly. Especially where we're going."

Couldn't that warning have come without jabbing Eren in the ribs?

"So until you get better at not blurting things out loud, I'm going to hit you every time you get it wrong," Porco continues.

Yeah, let's not do that.

"But Porco, isn't the person who needs that most you?"

As he expected, Porco's expression freezes. "W-what are you talking about?"

"Out of all the Warriors, you're the dumbest-"

"That's Reiner!"

At the sound of his name, Reiner glances over at them. "What about me?"

"Reiner, tell Porco that he's stupid," Eren says.

Porco turns to growl lowly at Reiner, a clear warning to not do just that. Reiner seems to understand because he puts his hands up in the air and smiles as innocently as he can. Then...

"Porco, you're stupid."

It seems that Reiner is actually the dumber of the two. Who even says that when they know they'll get socked in face?

*

In the end, Magath has to run interference.

"We're going to be flying together for the next three days. Then it'll be a week in Hizuru for the fair. Then three days' flight back. All on the assumption that you-" Here, Magath points at Eren. "-don't cause any trouble."

Eren finds it honestly unfair that he's being singled out like this. He has never been the reason why they had to stop an airship from flying. That time with the cucumbers don't count. Not to mention the one time they actually had to ground the ship was because of Porco and Pieck. But Eren sees that Magath has conveniently forgotten about that again.

"And where are your chaperones?"

Chap...? He doesn't mean...?

"Zeke said he had some reading to catch up on. Did you give him paperwork?"

Magath pretends that he didn't hear that. "And the other one?"

"You mean Kruger?"

Both Reiner and Porco give Eren a look that scolds him forgetting the title again. It's not that Eren forgot, by the way. He just doesn't think that Kruger's new title suits him much. They should just call him "Mini-Commander" instead.

Magath sighs heavily. "How many times do I have to tell you to call him lieutenant? It's because you're so careless that people think you're being insubordinate."

That makes it sound like Magath thinks Eren isn't normally insubordinate. Hah. What a thought. Since figuring out that Magath's been trying to win their loyalty, Eren has been pushing the boundaries more and more. Sure, it sometimes backfires and Eren ends up injured a bit. But it's definitely worth seeing how stressed Magath gets. And if he goes too far, someone will stop him. Seeing that hasn't happened, he's still in the clear.

"Even if I wasn't careless, they'd still say I am because I'm an Eldian, won't they?" Eren reasons. "So might as well as just do what I want!"

"That's not how this works. I know you know that. And you still haven't answered where Kruger is."

"He's helping Colt," Reiner offers.

"Colt's stuck in one of the vents," Porco adds.

Magath gives Eren accusing glare even though Eren didn't say anything. And just for the record, this is all Marcel's fault because his bunny doll mysteriously got trapped up there, so they had no choice but to send Colt up (and no, this was most definitely not a calculated move to distract Kruger so no one would notice Annie sneaking into the kitchens for dessert. How dare you accuse them of such horrid things?). But it looks like Magath is done listening to the rest of his story. Tch. And he worked so hard to come up with the most elaborate way to tell this story.

"For the duration of our journey, all of you are to stay glued to Kruger's or my side, understand? Do not go anywhere without one of us."

It never fails to amuse Eren how much trust Magath seems to pour into Kruger. Or perhaps this is yet another trap that Magath is setting up to lure Kruger into a sense of comfort? Eren doubts that Kruger would ever be able to trust a Marleyan, though. Especially not with how often Kruger gripes about the paperwork that Magath pushes onto him. But just in case, Eren will have to watch out for the dumb guy, huh?

Man, adults are such a pain to look after.

"Aww, are you lonely without me, sir?" Eren asks with a wide grin. Porco's light punch is totally worth the look on Magath's face.

"If you die, it won't be because of Warrior business. It'll be because you're a damned brat."

Eren laughs. "Thank you! I try!"

"Why the hell can't you put that much effort into obeying my orders?"

*

Since it's more economical, those who are going to the technology fair are all on this airship to Hizuru. That means that the Warrior Division members are restricted to a small section of the ship so that the Marleyans are not alarmed. Eren thinks that's pretty dumb, seeing that the very same Eldians will be on guard duty for them.

But it is pretty cool to see who have been deemed "important" to take to the technology fair.

"Dr. Archbard! It's been a while!" Eren greets.

Magath gives Eren a pinched look but doesn't stop Eren from approaching the doctor. But it's not like Eren can get very close either. Porco grips Eren's scarf, preventing him from getting too far. Eren thinks that it's barbaric of them.

"You're the security detail for this trip? Did they run out of soldiers?" Dr. Archbard asks with a scowl.

"It's good to see you, too," Eren tells him. "Are you heading over to listen to lectures and to bring back medical devices to the hospital?"

"I'm actually giving a lecture."

That's all the doctor will say about the topic, which lets Eren know plenty. It's Grisha's research that Archbard is presenting, isn't it? And with all these Marleyans around, he can't say that the research came from an Eldian.

How frustrating. Eren doesn't think he would be able to stomach that kind of dishonesty. Or perhaps that's thinking too naively? If Erwin had said it was for the sake of humanity, Eren probably would have gone with such dishonesty, no matter how he personally felt about.

Isn't that why he was okay with the trap to catch Annie?

Hah. Look at him, getting lost in the past again.

"I hope I can stop by to listen to you," Eren says cheerfully. "I'm curious to see what you'll be presenting."

"I doubt you'll be able to understand it."

Eren laughs. "Then I'll leave you be. Commander Magath looks like he's starting to get annoyed. Can't leave him alone for too long or he'll pout."

"I can hear you," Magath snaps.

*

They find Kruger stuck in the vents. Marcel, Pieck, Bertolt, and Colt stare worriedly at their second-in-command from the safety of the ground.

"How?" Magath groans, looking like a second away from a headache.

Hey, don't look at Eren. He wasn't here for this either. Not that it'll stop Magath from blaming it all on him anyways. This is totally unfair.

"I got stuck in the vents to try and get Eren's bunny doll out," Colt says. "Lieutenant Kruger got me out but not the doll. So he went back in for it."

HuH? Wait. Why is this "Eren's" doll? It's clearly Marcel's!

Eren glances at Marcel who gives him a wink. Alright. Fine. Eren will play along.

"Kruger, you're my hero!" Eren yells.

Just in time, Kruger pulls himself out of the vents (Drat. He wasn't actually stuck. That would've been hilarious) and turns to glare at Eren. He holds up the dusty bunny doll high in the air.

"What's that? I didn't quite hear you. Repeat yourself."

Is he seriously holding a doll hostage to be praised? Hey, isn't that way too pathetic?

Eren puts his hands together to emphasize his thankfulness. "Lieutenant Kruger, you're the coolest hero! Thank you!"

But when he holds his hands out to accept the bunny doll, Kruger makes no move to give it back. In fact, that's a rather terrifying glare on Kruger's face.

"This vent is so high that even I struggled to get up to it. So how did you guys manage to 'lose' this doll and then get Colt stuck in it?"

That glare aimed at Eren's back is from Magath, isn't it? In case they all forgot, Eren wasn't here for that! Yes, he helped make the plans. But he was elsewhere on the ship. Remember that?

"T-t-there's a perfectly good explanation for-"

"Eren!" Willy shouts. "L-let's play!"

Perfect timing.

"Thanks for getting the bunny doll back! I'm off to do my off-duty mission! Bye!"

*

"Willy, your timing couldn't have been more perfect! You are absolutely the best!" Eren gushes once they're in the safety of the Tybur's room.

This room of the airship is much fancier than anything else. But seeing that a family is staying here, Eren supposes that makes perfect sense. The Warrior Division was given the bottom-most bunk with the wares.

"I-I'm glad that you think so," Willy says, blushing.

"He was too scared to approach you earlier," Lara reports.

Eren forces himself to keep his expression neutral as Willy's face turns beet red.

"You said you wouldn't tell him!"

The sound of giggle catches Eren's attention. Because of how preoccupied Eren was, he didn't realize that Willy's mom and dad were both in the room as well. How embarrassing of him.

"S-Sir, ma'am," Eren greets with the Marleyan salute.

"No need to be so stiff," Willy's dad says with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Do make yourself comfortable."

"Let's play Othello," Lara suggests, pulling Eren towards where the game has already been set up.

Looks like she's been looking forward to a rematch with him. And how the hell can anyone say no to a kid who just wants to play? Kruger and Magath should both take notes.

"Sure! Let's play!"

*

"You know, Eren, I have been meaning to talk to you," Willy's dad says. "Is the Warrior Division treating you okay? The reports are always so vague, but Willy mentioned that you always have a new injury."

Oh, that's good to know that Willy has a good relationship with his dad if they talk about mundane things like that. Since Eren rarely saw Wily's dad, he did wonder what their relationship was like. But it seems there's no need to worry. How nice. He wonders if it's selfish of him to want that kind of happy family relations for all of the Warrior Division members. 

"That's just part of the job!" Eren says lightly.

"Still, it's worrisome that you're getting hurt."

What's with that? Of course, he'd get hurt. He's being sent to a battlefield. Does this man think that battles are won by talking at someone? Well, with how prime and proper this family looks, that would make a lot of sense. He probably wins battles in terms of how much profit he makes in a business agreement.

"It's nothing fatal, so there's no worry!" Eren laughs. "Besides, both my grandpa and dad are doctors, so injuries don't scare me."

It's not quite an unfriendly look that's on this man's face. No, no. His expression is too neutral for that. But it puts Eren on edge anyways. Whatever it is that this man is fishing for, he won't get it from Eren.

"I win!" Lara announces, interrupting Eren's observation.

"Would you look at that! You've gotten really good at this game!" Eren praises.

She beams. "One more round!"

"No! It's my turn now!" Willy protests.

For now, Eren will put his unease to the side to entertain the kids.

*

Three days pass in surprising peace (not counting the incident with the coconut or the missing desserts for the dinners for all three days or the sudden disappearance of the red lightbulb for emergencies... While we're at it, let's also not count the time they almost got to bungee jump out of the airship). Absolutely nothing happens that's worth noting.

"Finally! We're here!" Eren cheers as he raises the bunny doll he snatched back from Kruger high in the air (It took a lot of scheming and begging to get this doll back, by the way).

Zeke looks tired but he still takes the time to ruffle Eren's hair. Eren's pretty sure that his brother is just going through the motions without much thought, though. His eyes seem slightly glazed and not at all here. Just what the hell did Magath make him read for the past three days?

"Ah, there you are, Zeke. Help me set up," Dr. Archbard says, surprising Eren.

"But he's really tired," Eren protests.

Dr. Archbard scowls. "He can heal, can't he?"

"Eren, I'm fine," Zeke says. Then he helps carry some luggage with Dr. Archbard and goes a different way.

It seems that it wasn't Magath that set Zeke to work but Dr. Archbard. 

"Is this really okay?" Eren wonders.

"I'm sure he already has permission from Magath," Marcel says, touching shoulders with Eren. "Guess this security detail thing is supposed to be really easy, if we don't need Zeke on it."

Or Magath wants to try something that requires someone smart like Zeke to be away. But he kept Marcel close, which can mean either he's starting to get suspicious of Zeke or he's leaving Zeke's special titan ability on the bench. Except is that even necessary? They don't need titan abilities for this mission, do they? Isn't it supposed to be a simple guard mission? Unless there's something more Magath is trying to fish during the duration of this fair?

... Eren wonders if maybe he's starting to get way too suspicious of every little thing.

"Yeah, you're right. Since it'll be easy, let's get it done fast and go play!"

Marcel grins mischievously and leans in. "Have something in mind?"

"Well, we _are_ at a fair... It would be a shame not to use it to our advantage."

The two giggle.

*

But first, business.

As Calvi's guards, they are expected to be fully suited in uniform and ready to greet the Hizuru leaders. It seems odd that Zeke isn't here to be their representative. Does Magath want to give the rest of them a taste of what missions look like without Zeke watching over them and covering for them? Eren supposes that a low-stress mission like this one is the perfect time for that kind of a lesson. Maybe he's just nervous because his brother isn't here to back him?

Ugh. How spoiled of him.

It's funny when people accuse him of being spoiled. But it becomes annoying as hell when he realizes that about himself. It's a matter of context, alright?

"Whoa, this place is so different from our headquarter," Porco whispers, looking around in awe.

Eren agrees. He has seen pictures of what Hizuru is like, but it's completely different story to see it for himself. It's a little like he walked into a fairy tale. There are red pillars holding the ceiling up, giving this place a roomy feeling. The bold combination of red and gold that adorns the place makes it that much more mystic. Jean often remarked how the red scarf really accentuated Mikasa's Orientalism or whatever, and Eren didn't really get it at the time, but he's starting to understand where Jean was coming from.

Most of the people around them are dressed in black suits. But there are few others wearing what Zeke told Eren as kimono. Those people dressed differently is most definitely those with power. It is interesting to note that there seems to be just as much women dressed in those black suits as men. Back in Eren's world, it was only obvious that everyone helped out in protecting the remaining humans within the walls, which often translated to both men and women in power. But that isn't the case with Marley. There is a very clear division between what a woman is allowed to do and what a man is allowed to do. It seems that the people of Hizuru seems to lean more towards how things were in Eren's world than Marley. 

It's pretty cool to find out more about other country's culture and customs, especially a place that Marley hasn't trampled on. 

"You guys wait out here," Magath informs them. He pauses for a second before adding, "Keep Eren from causing trouble."

Eren pouts. Even if he wanted to cause trouble, he knows better to start something here. Not only do the Hizuru guards look imposing, but he feels that one wrong move here will end up rippling back to affect his family back in Liberio. It's one thing to cause trouble for Magath. It's a completely different story to cause trouble for his family.

"Don't worry, sir," Porco tells Magath.

That seems to make their commander even more worried. As if understanding that, Marcel smiles confidently.

"I'll keep my eyes on both of them."

"Why not just leave Kruger out here with us?" Eren asks, still pouting.

"I would if I could. But General Calvi insisted that both myself and Kruger be present with him. Marcel, I'll leave them to you."

*

"How come Magath trusts Marcel more than me?" Porco asks once Magath is out of earshot.

Eren tilts his head, pretending to think. "If it was me, I'd trust Marcel more than you, too."

Porco mercilessly kicks Eren's calf. Then he turns to the others, glaring at them to answer him.

"It's because you're like that," Pieck says bluntly.

"Like what?" Porco demands like it's not clear to everyone watching.

Bertolt offers to help Eren, but Eren waves him off. It's just a kick. He'll maybe bruise and it'll go away. Besides, it's not like this is the first time Porco kicked him.

"Porco, settle down. Don't cause a scene," Marcel warns.

It does just what they all expected and calms Porco down. How this guy even questions why Marcel is trusted is beyond Eren.

"Pfft... You kids are quiet adorable," a young lady says, hiding her chuckles behind her hand.

She's wearing a kimono, which denotes her as someone with power. Yet she's willingly talking to them? Even though they're wearing their armbands? There's no way that she wouldn't know what these armbands mean. Eren doesn't recall whether Eldians live in Hizuru, but he doubts Eldians would be treated any better here than anywhere else.

So what is she playing at?

"Thank you, ma'am!" Pieck says with a cute smile.

Yup, that's good. Let Pieck and Marcel take the forefront in keeping things civil and polite. The rest of them will watch their lead before deciding how to join in.

The lady puts her hand down, revealing a kind smile. "I've heard quite a lot about the Warrior Division and how rowdy they are. No need to force yourself on our account. Please be as you are always."

There's something awfully familiar about her that he can't quite place. He doesn't think he met her in his own world. How could he have? The only oriental left inside the walls was Mikasa. Maybe he's just missing her, so he's just projecting Mikasa onto this lady? Yes, Mikasa chose to let Armin die, but that one choice doesn't erase their childhood together. Eren didn't want her to live as a soldier, blooding her hands under orders. He wonders if she would be able to step away from the soldiers' world after the battle against Bertolt and Reiner in their hometown.

"I hope this isn't rude, but by any chance, do you know a girl named Mikasa Ackerman?" Eren asks.

The lady gives an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. The name doesn't ring a bell. Can you describe her to me?"

Describe Mikasa? Well, Eren definitely can't just list her physical attributes, since all that would just end up describing majority of the orientals here. He could tell her that she's very strong and smart and good with swords, but he doesn't even know if that's true in this world.

So what can he say that sets Mikasa apart from the rest?

"Oh! I know! There's this tattoo on her wrist! Her mom gave it to her when she was little and told her to pass it on to her children once she has them. Erm... Let's see... The tattoo was that of... a circle with a triangle of swords inside! That's it!"

Eren chuckles, feeling proud of himself for remembering something from his childhood. He hasn't seen that tattoo in forever. When they were younger, Mikasa didn't mind showing it off. But once the walls fell, she became sensitive about showing it, even to Eren. He doubts even the girls that shared living space with Mikasa ever saw it.

Hm? Is something wrong? The people of Hizuru are staring at Eren with wide eyes like they just saw him commit a horrible crime (which they shouldn't have. At least, not yet). Possibly because it's making them feel uneasy, both Reiner and Porco take steps forward to stand between Eren and those from Hizuru. Marcel glances at Eren questioningly, but Eren can only shrug in reply. He doesn't know why they're like this either.

"A-and... w-where did you meet this girl?" the lady asks.

... Where?

Eren didn't think that far ahead. But that is a legitimate question to ask. Why didn't he think to come up with an excuse beforehand? How does he know "Mikasa Ackerman?"

He can tell the truth. He can tell everyone here how he came from another world. How the Eren of this world in his dying breath, forced him here. How the only thing similar between their two worlds is the titans. He'll tell them everything, and they'll all laugh at him and treat him like he's joking around.

Or he can come up with a believable lie. Maybe how he saw her in a dream? Maybe that Reiner mentioned her in one of the many predictions he has made? Oh, he probably shouldn't say that one. Don't want to throw Reiner under the bus, and it'll be too obvious that it's a lie. Maybe something sweet and cute like he exchanges letters with her?

Or he can...

"So you know her?" he asks, refusing to answer her question.

"I'm just curious as to where you might have met such an... interesting sounding person. That is all," she says, smiling easily as if there's nothing wrong. "What did you say your name was?"

He doesn't want to answer her. There's clearly something more that she isn't saying. It's not the name "Mikasa" that threw her off but the description of the tattoo. He wishes that Mikasa's mom had more time to tell her about what that tattoo was, but that line of thinking isn't going to help anyone.

"His name is Eren Jaeger, ma'am," Marcel says politely when he realizes that Eren isn't answering. He shoots Eren a warning look that reminds him to not fool around.

"I see. Eren, won't you please tell me where you met this girl?"

"Will she be in trouble if I do?" Eren asks to stall for time.

"Goodness, no! She is a very... precious person to me. It's just been a very long time since I or anyone else have seen her."

... Huh? T-then...? M-Mikasa in this world is...?

She must have realized how her words sound at the sight of Eren's expression. She quickly rushes to explain herself.

"What I mean to say is, the last person to have that tattoo on them was my long lost relatives who was unfortunately trapped on Paradis Island. I was under the assumption that Marley hasn't made any move to approach that place. So please kindly inform me, Eren. Where did you meet her?"

On Paradis...? B-but Porco said that everyone there is dead and... No. Wait. That's not what he said. He said that it's doubtful that anyone survived. But how did that story go? "107 years ago, the entire human race was devoured by the titans. Following that, our ancestors constructed mighty walls that the titans couldn't get over..."

"I-I told him! It was a prediction that I saw. A girl with that strange tattoo. W-we're supposed to meet her later but haven't yet. So we're just curious," Reiner blurts out.

The lady turns her attention towards Reiner. "And you are?"

"T-the Attack Titan, Reiner Braun, ma'am."

"I see. And she told you what her name was as well? My, what great memories you have. What was it that you said her name was, Reiner?"

Reiner freezes. He glances at Eren, his eyes screaming for help. This is no time to be stuck on a shocking revelation. Eren needs to help Reiner for having his back.

"Mikasa Ackerman. When we meet her, we'll let her know that you're waiting for her, er... Miss...?"

"I believe in Marley, you'd say my name like this: Kiyomi Azumabito," she says. "I'll wait for your good news."

Azumabito? If Eren recalls correctly (and he is. Magath drilled them all on knowing this, especially before they arrived in Hizuru), the current head of state is a shrewd man with the family name "Azumabito." Is she a relative? Gut instinct tells Eren that she has more power in the government than she lets on. He should keep his mouth shut whenever she gets close.

She makes a bit of small talk after that, asking after each of them. But she doesn't seem all that interested in what they say. That's fine, because Eren has his own batch of information to review.

In the book that Armin had, the world outside of the walls were always depicted in its beauty and splendor without any sign of humans. Added to the fact that everyone claimed that they were the last remains of the human race, Eren always believed that once the titans were conquered, they would be allowed to explore the vast unknown as seen in Armin's book. The field of sand, fire water, ice ground...

_The ocean._

But what if that wasn't the case?

What if that was what Reiner and Bertolt of his world wanted to show him? And they didn't bother explaining the situation because they knew that Eren would bullheadedly refuse to listen to them. So their only solution was to drag Eren outside the walls so he can see for himself what was out there.

And?

What would have been waiting for Eren out there in his world?

_"Because if you do, you'll be able to go back to your hometown, right?"_

Bertolt and Reiner talked about it a lot. Their hometown. How they both wanted so badly to go back there. They made it sound like their hometown was under the rubble after titans took over, but that wasn't the case, was it? The Colossal Titan was clearly standing outside of the walls when it kicked the gates down. Ergo...

Ymir mentioned that she ate one of Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie's comrades. And in Reiner's prediction about Paradis Island, Marcel is dead. On top of that, there's that stark distinction Bertolt and Reiner made about being a "warrior" versus a "soldier." Ergo...

An army of Colossal-sized titans, they said. Eren didn't really think about where they would be coming from. But there's a very simple answer to that, isn't there? When Annie tried to climb the wall, she revealed it to all of them. The titan inside of the walls. Where else would all those titans for the Rumbling come from if not there? Ergo...

But wait. There are things that are different, though. For one, Reiner doesn't have the Armored Titan. For another, Eren is out here. And there was most definitely no such thing as-

_"Children of the devils!"_

What if what Bertolt meant back then was "Eldian Devils?"

Doesn't that mean that he had it wrong this entire time? This is a different world, yes. But it's not that different from the one he came from. The only difference is that he's now witnessing the events from the other side. He knows the secrets of the world, and he's now going to help the traitors invade...

Oh.

He thought he wouldn't be able to go home.

But if he were to head towards Paradis right now, he will be there, won't he?

Home is waiting for him in Paradis. Mikasa and Armin are...

Marcel leans in so that their shoulders touch. "I don't know what's gotten you so startled, but for just a little bit longer, can you put on a happy mask?"

He doesn't want to. He really wants to think about this a little more and try to puzzle it out. But he also knows that as an Eldian, he does not have that luxury.

Taking a deep breath, Eren forces himself to focus on the now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'd have to be an idiot to not know that Marley is always keeping their eyes set on Paradis Island. So even though it was distasteful to work together with a group of people that believed they were superior to everyone around them, the people of Hizuru learned to smile politely. 
> 
> They were waiting, you see.
> 
> It was only a matter of time before Marley ran off to Paradis. Whether because they ran out of places to conquer or because they desired more than the current power of the titans that they currently have. The reason didn't matter. As long as Marley moved, Hizuru could as well.
> 
> To find the descendant of their Shogun that was trapped on that island. 
> 
> Of course, they knew that this descendant by now will not be of pure Hizuru blood. They weren't that naive. But to think that the name would land on their lap like this... 
> 
> "Mikasa Ackerman."
> 
> Kiyomi enters her room and makes her way straight to her desk. First, she needs to come up with a plan. Something that will allow her to get closer to the Warriors without raising suspicions. Lucky for her, the Marleyan top brass don't believe that women can be in power, so they'll ignore her movements. But it won't do for people to start whispering that Hizuru's most powerful woman has lowered her head to bunch of Eldians.
> 
> One of her servants bring forth her evening tea. She motions for them to bring her guard.
> 
> "I suspect that the Warrior Division knows far more than they're letting on. But due to the last spy's mistake, we won't be able to approach too casually. But we will have the upperhand if we get our hands on Eren Jaeger."
> 
> "Understood. Shall I kill him?"
> 
> According to the little information that they got from the spy, the ability of Eren Jaeger was manipulating the future that the Attack Titan predicted. The Attack Titan said that he has already seen the future of meeting with Mikasa Ackerman. Then as long as Eren exists, there's a chance of that future changing.
> 
> That is unacceptable.
> 
> "Not yet. If we move too quickly, they'll realize what's going on. Don't worry. I have a plan for that. For now, we're going to get close to that child."


	23. these last few chapters were written while listening to 'in the name of love' on repeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to predict his day-to-day life is nearly impossible due to Eren's constant influence. His predictions are proven wrong almost immediately as he sees them. When he mentioned this to Magath, his commander gave him a simple assignment to keep using his ability.
> 
> Look at the Paradis Island's future every night.
> 
> Absolutely nothing changes, and Reiner very rarely sees more than what he did the first time. But it has become a habit to look before going to sleep.
> 
> That's why he sees it.
> 
> He stands in the harbor of Liberio, staring out at the approaching Colossal-sized pure titans. Even though those titans are quite far away, he can feel the tremors of the ocean and the earth. The estimated time of their arrival is two hours. 
> 
> "This going exactly how you saw it?" Pieck asks lightly.
> 
> She looks older than Zeke is currently. It lets Reiner know that this must take place after his initial prediction about the Rumbling. The prediction must have changed to a later time. 
> 
> "More or less," Reiner answers her.
> 
> "Man, they sure are terrifying," Marcel remarks as he joins them. "But we haven't been slacking on this side either. Let's show them our pride as Warriors."
> 
> Then Reiner is back in the hotel that they're staying at, watching as everyone fight over which bed they get to sleep in for the night.

Eren has been out of it since meeting that Azumabito lady. Porco doubts that he's the only one who noticed. But no one's saying anything about it, which is starting to grate Porco's nerves.

"So who the hell is this 'Mikasa Ackerman?'" Porco asks when they finally get to their hotel for the night.

Originally, they were to stay at an inn, a good drive away from the fair while their Marleyan officers stayed at a nicer hotel. But someone (Eren says it was Kruger, but Marcel insists it must have been Magath) must have pointed out the dangers of leaving Eldians by themselves. And with the Tybur family's kind offer to cover the cost of it, the Warrior Division members found themselves at an amazingly nice hotel that they would normally never be allowed to set foot in.

They were given two rooms that connect through a door (Magath and Kruger's rooms are across the hall). As is only logical, the girls will be getting one of the rooms while the rest of them cram in here. Porco thought that Eren would protest about it not being fair or whatever, but Eren seems too lost in thought to have realized that this conversation even took place.

It takes Eren a second longer than usual to realize that Porco is talking to him. He stares blankly at Porco as if he can't recall anything that's being said around him.

"Mikasa Ackerman," Porco repeats slowly for him. "Who the hell is she?"

For just a second, Eren looks like he's a gulp away from tears. Then he pulls his scarf up, hiding the lower part of his face. It frustrates Porco more than he'd like to admit. How the hell is Porco supposed to understand if Eren retreats?

Marcel puts his hand on Porco's shoulder, stopping him from lashing out. Then he moves to stand right in front of Eren.

"Eren, we won't understand if you don't talk to us. We know Reiner was covering for you back there. Who is Mikasa Ackerman? Why do you know someone who should be on Paradis Island?"

Eren refuses to meet Marcel's eyes. Then slowly, he looks up, pulling the scarf down so that they can all see his face. He's ready to face them then. Porco finds himself relaxing at the sight.

"I don't know how much of this you'll believe, but when I came back from the dead, I had some memories of things. Things like meeting that Mikasa. I didn't think too much of it then, but after talking to Miss Azumabito, I think those memories might have been of Paradis Island."

Porco watches Eren's ears for the sign of deceit. They're not turning red, so Eren must be telling the truth. But to have memories of being on Paradis Island? That sounds so far fetched. Then again, that would explain why sometimes Eren mentions people that Porco doesn't recall meeting.

Marcel taps his chin, looking fascinated. "Memories of Paradis Island? I wonder if it's like that myth where your spirit roams around the world when you're about to die. Maybe your spirit ended up in Paradis and met this Mikasa."

"That's right! There is that myth, isn't there? That must be it!" Eren says.

There's something about this that bothers Porco. But Eren's ears are not turning red. Eren isn't lying to them.

For now, Porco will take Eren's words at face value and does not question it.

*

Zeke arrives once they've more or less settled in their spots, looking tired. And it's not until then that they realized that they forgot to account for a place for Zeke to sleep. The words "You can sleep on the ground" almost leave Porco's mouth. If it wasn't for Eren's save, Porco is pretty sure that he would have been scolded at least.

"Your place is with me, Zeke! What were you up to? Did you eat? We have some leftovers that Commander Magath bought us. And Kruger said as long as it's under our allocated daily budget, we're allowed to get room service."

"I'm good," Zeke says with a tired smile. "Thank you."

He collapses in the bed that Eren claimed for himself and Reiner. Looks like it turned out for the better that Porco lost the rock, paper, scissors match to share beds with Eren. It'll most definitely be way too cramped on that bed with someone as large as Zeke.

There are three beds in the room and a couch. So technically speaking, Zeke could have slept fine on that couch. But Porco isn't going to be the heartless person to say it out loud. He's pretty sure that Colt will end up on the couch so that he can escape from Bertolt's weird sleeping habits. So there will be no room on the couch for Zeke anyways.

"Were you with Dr. Archbard the entire time? Are you under orders? Can we not hang out during the fair?" Eren asks, poking his brother mercilessly.

"Hey Eren, I think you should let him rest," Bertolt says.

"But he should at least shower first! And change out of his clothes and-"

"Pfft! Hahahaha! You're such a mom!" Porco laughs. Zeke's an adult. He can take care of himself.

Marcel reminds them all to be quiet, but it falls on deaf ears.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Pieck asks as she and Annie join them.

"Eren! He's such a mom! He nagged at Zeke to shower before sleep and everything!" Porco tells her before anyone can stop him.

Annie glances at Zeke before looking at Eren seriously. "You must have failed in your nagging. Your target hasn't showered."

Who would have thought that Annie would display a sense of humor at a time like this? Porco sniggers.

"You guys are too loud," Zeke groans.

"Then go take a shower."

To their surprise, it finally pushes Zeke up from the bed. What do you know? Eren can indeed nag like a mom.

*

Eren's staring off into space again.

Porco hates how unapproachable Eren becomes when he's like this. He reaches over and pulls on Eren's cheeks.

"W-whua?! What did I do?!"

"You're pissing me off!" Porco declares. "If something's troubling you, just say it! Stop brooding by yourself! Aren't we friends?"

What the hell was that side-glance thing Eren just did with his eyes? Does Eren not feel the same? This bastard...

Porco reels his head back and headbutts Eren as hard as he can. Eren lets out a soft whimper. But that doesn't satisfy Porco enough. He reels back and-

"Ahhh, you're going to kill him if you do that again!" Marcel exclaims, stopping him.

Reiner has moved to Eren's side, trying to pry Eren away from Porco. But Porco refuses to let go. He grabs on tight and growls at them all.

"Why the hell aren't you guys mad? This is the same thing as Eren saying that he doesn't see any of us as friends! Isn't that why you kept that a secret? Because you can't trust us? Hey, was it funny? To see how much we cared and trusted you when you don't care about us at all?"

"Porco, that's too far," Marcel scolds, his voice sharp.

But doesn't this bother Marcel? Doesn't this bother anyone else? Is it just Porco who feels hurt by Eren's constant silence?

"It's not... it's not like that..."

But Eren's voice is faint. Like he feels uncertain about his own feelings. Like he doesn't really know how he feels about them. And isn't that fucking convenient? Now that Porco's confronting him, Eren won't face him?

"Then what is it? You know that I'm an idiot. If you don't tell me, I'm not going to know. Do you hate me? Do you like me? Are we friends? Eren, what the hell are we to you?"

"You're like my cute little siblings!"

... Come again?

Eren's cheeks taint red with embarrassment, but his ears aren't. It's not a lie, but...? Huh? What?

"Y-you... All of you are really cute. I want to protect you."

Porco shoves Marcel off so he can headbutt Eren one last time. Marcel only manages to grab Porco after he is successful. And since it's clear that his brother will stop him again, Porco kicks out wildly in hopes that one of them catches Eren. Unfortunately, it just catches Reiner and Bertolt, who must have sprinted over to help.

Tch.

"Who the hell ever said we need you to protect us?! Why do you keep making these decisions by yourself? Trust us, damn it! Trust me!"

Eren's silver eyes lock onto Porco, filled with...? What's that emotion? Porco can't quite tell. Is Eren mad? But it's nothing as simple as plain rage.

"You stupid-"

Three loud knocks on the door interrupt their fight. Pieck looks worried, but she answers the door anyways.

Kruger looks livid when he walks in, closing the door behind himself. His eyes do a sweep of the room before arriving at Porco and Eren. No shock, his lips pull into a pissed scowl.

"Do you guys realize how loud you are?" he asks in a low whisper.

Porco gulps. They're in trouble, huh?

"W-we're sorry, sir," the others rush to apologize.

Porco doesn't miss the fact that everyone has more or less positioned themselves between Kruger and the mess that is Eren and Porco. It would have been touching if not for what Porco was yelling at Eren about. Does Eren even understand why they moved like that? Does he really not get it? Why Porco is so angry?

Kruger glances around, clearly counting something. "Where's Zeke?"

"In the shower, sir," Colt answers.

Except wait. Hasn't Zeke been in the shower for a really long time now? In fact, Porco can make the argument that it's been at least an hour since-

"C-check the bathroom!" Eren exclaims.

*

It seems that Zeke must have fallen asleep, trying to take a shower. Kruger helps them drag him out of the bathroom and into one of the beds. With yet another warning to them to be quiet, Kruger takes his leave.

Porco has half a mind to bring up the topic again. But he also knows without a doubt that he'll end up getting heated again. The last thing he wants is to get everyone in trouble with Kruger. That guy kicks harder than Porco.

But he feels like he's just sulking now, glaring at the card game that is now taking place before him.

"Fufufu," Pieck laughs. "Royal Flush."

"We're not playing poker," Eren corrects.

Pieck shoves him to the side, clearly with no intention to listen to him. "I win!"

"The person with the Joker is the loser, isn't it...?" Bertolt asks.

Pieck pushes him down, too.

"Hey, play this fairly. I rolled a seven, so I win," Annie declares.

"What game are you playing?!"

How can they just goof around like that without any worry or doubt? Doesn't it bother them?

"Porco, you don't want to play?" Marcel asks.

"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."

*

Porco wakes up in the middle of the night by someone nudging him. Eren looks seriously at him and puts his finger to his mouth and then motions for Porco to get up.

What the hell is he planning on doing?

When Porco gets up, Eren looks relieved. He grabs Porco by the hand and drags him to the... The couch? The two of them sit down there.

"What?"

Eren opens his mouth but then hesitates. Is this about their fight earlier? There's no way that Eren is here to apologize. So then-

"Porco, if I were to tell you something crazy, would you believe me?"

Well, that depends, doesn't it? Is Eren going to make fun of him for being gullible? Because Eren has done that many times, and Porco hasn't quite forgiven him for that.

"I want to believe you," Porco decides on. "If you make the effort to tell me the truth, I'm going to meet you half way. Hell, if you were to ask any one of us, we'd all say the same thing. Is that so hard to believe?"

There's a small pause of silence before Eren leans against Porco's shoulder. "It's not that I don't trust you. But I... it's hard. I still don't understand exactly what happened. And I'm not sure if it'll ever be clear. But the longer I take with it, the more I'll just end up hurting you guys, right?"

"It doesn't mean that I don't want you to think it over or that you're not allowed to have privacy. I just... wish you'd trust us enough to share your thoughts. I'm not sure if I'd be happy with it completely, but I'd even take you letting us know that you'll tell us when you're ready than complete silence."

"Hey... if you can't return home anymore... a-and the people you love back home were all gone, would you be able to find a new home?"

Is this a hypothetical question? Or does this have to do with what Eren said earlier about having memories of Paradis? Is Eren waiting for Porco to tell him something specific? Probably not, right? He asked that because he wants to know what Porco would do in that situation, right? After all, Eren of all people should know that Porco is really bad at predicting what people wants to hear. If Eren really wanted that, he would have gotten Marcel.

That's right.

Eren asked for Porco's thoughts. Eren asked for Porco's opinion. That's all Porco needs.

"It'll probably be hard. And I can't imagine that it'll be easy. But if I have you and Marcel, yeah. I'll definitely be able to find a new home again," Porco says.

There's a small pause as Eren seems to mull over those words. Then he laughs softly.

"I've been horribly unfair to you guys, haven't I?"

Porco finally feels at peace. If they can talk like this, then it's going to be okay. He rests his head against Eren's.

"Can't be helped, since you're our spoiled youngest."

"Huh? Me? The youngest? What are you talking about? Porco, you're younger than me," Eren protests.

Porco rolls his eyes. "Don't be stupid."

There's a pause as Eren seems to be counting something. Then he glares at Porco with a snarl.

"You dumbass, your birthday comes after mine!"

"But I'm cooler, so I'm older."

"That's not how this works!"

A pillow comes flying at them with surprising accuracy. No shock. It's Marcel, who glares at them from the bed.

"Some of us are trying to sleep," Marcel says.

Eren glances at Porco, lips quirking into a smile Porco knows only too well. Is that loud thudding sound coming from Porco? Does Eren even realize that Porco has been waiting for a moment like this? When Eren would turn to Porco first. When Eren would share that grin with Porco first.

Porco grins back and picks up the pillow.

The two jump on to the bed with Marcel on it and attack.

*

Zeke scolds them tiredly, reminding all of them that although this isn't Marleyan territory, they must behave as fitting for Warrior Division members. Then he tells them to go to sleep and collapses on the couch.

"Is he okay?" Porco finds himself asking.

"Well, it's Zeke," Marcel reasons.

That's true. He'll probably be fine after sleeping a bit. What's actually important is...

"That's our bed," Porco complains, pointing at Eren who has made himself comfortable on the bed by taking all of the pillows.

Eren sticks his tongue out at them. "Mine now!"

Marcel grabs Porco before he can wrestle the pillows back. "Zeke said to stop. So let's just call it a truce and sleep."

"But pillows!" Porco protests.

His brother smiles and wags a finger at Porco. Oh. It's going to be like that, huh?

Eren must have realized that something has changed because he glances over at the two of them with wide eyes. He looks a second away from saying something, but then his eyes dart over to where Zeke is. That's right. If he makes too much of noise after Zeke scolded them, he'd get into a lot of trouble.

With an innocent smile on his face, Marcel gets his revenge.

Porco gives them a few seconds before jumping in.

* * *

He should tell them.

Especially after Porco's words about trust, it'll be really bad of Reiner to not say anything. But in the same breath, trying to figure out the timing to say something when Porco and Eren are going off on each other is pretty difficult. Made worse by the fact that this is the second time Zeke has scolded Porco, Marcel, and Eren.

If Reiner were to say something now, wouldn't he receive the same treatment?

When he thinks about it like that, it makes much more sense to be quiet about it, right? But wouldn't Eren be super happy to hear that Marcel won't be dying? Not to mention it's kind of weird that his prediction changed. The only person who can change these predictions is Eren, which means it has to be something that Eren did today. But Reiner was with him all day and can't recall a single thing that would cause the future to change.

This is exactly why he wanted to talk to someone about it.

He considers the pros and cons of approaching Eren now. On the plus side, he would be positively enforcing Porco's words of trust. On the not so plus side, it might incur Zeke's wrath for having his sleep disturbed way too many times tonight. But in the same breath, Reiner feels like it's important enough to talk to Eren about...

Well, it's not like the prediction is going to change anymore. They're going to be sleeping.

Okay. In the morning, he's going to talk to Eren.

*

He underestimated just how busy the morning will be.

They're woken up by Annie and Pieck barging in and reminding them all to be up and ready. In the middle of that, Kruger and Magath arrive with breakfast for them. Then it's briefing and determining who will be guarding what before they're dismissed to do their duty.

Reiner is partnered with Annie for the day. Eren is with Colt and Kruger. It looks like they won't be eating lunch together either. But at this rate, isn't it possible that Eren could change the prediction further from what it has become without Reiner's knowledge?

He really wanted to talk to Eren first about this, but at this rate...

"E-erm... T-there's something I need to say," Reiner begins.

When everyone looks to him, he takes a deep breath and continues.

"The prediction about Paradis changed last night. I'm no longer on the island when the Rumbling starts. I'm at the harbor port of Liberio. A-and Marcel's alive."

"You were looking into Paradis Island?" Eren asks, looking delighted but also curious.

Reiner nods. "S-since looking into my day-to-day isn't too reliable as prediction tests."

Eren makes a small "Oh" sound of understanding. Well, that's good that he understands. But Reiner really wanted to tell this to Eren beforehand. So that they had a plan or at least some kind of a road map of what to expect when Reiner told their Marleyan commanders this. Now, they're bolting blind straight into this without any plan.

"The prediction about Paradis changed and none of you thought it important to run to me to tell me?" Magath asks, his voice filled with strain.

"It was the middle of the night, sir," Zeke says, playing interference for Reiner. "It didn't seem wise to disturb your sle-"

"Fuck my sleep. You should have told me right away. Shit. What happened last night that might have changed the prediction? Eren, what the hell did you do?"

Eren looks as shocked as Reiner feels. Why is Magath yelling at Eren for? Well, okay. Dumb question. Because Eren is the only one who can change the predictions. But there's no reason to curse and yell, is there?

"But how can anything that we do here affect what will happen in Paradis?" Eren argues. "Isn't that weird?"

"Of course, it can change it! What part of everything you do and say has consequences did you not understand?"

"Commander, cool yourself. It's unbecoming," Kruger says sharply.

That actually does the trick. Magath covers his face and takes a deep breath. Then he turns to look at Eren.

"Detail to me everything you did and everyone you met when I wasn't there since we got on that airship."

Reiner regrets saying anything.

* * *

Magath rubs his temples. If he is the only person who looked this tired, then Eren could have made a light joke here or there. But it's not just him or Kruger. It's the entire Warrior Division that looks just as tired.

"So to get this straight," Magath begins slowly. "You talked with the Tybur family head, a member of the Azumabito family, the Marleyan doctor from Liberio, and various random people on the streets and at the Hizuru's headquarter. And these are just the encounters that you recall."

Eren feels that Magath is pushing this way out of proportions. Even if Eren was able to change something in that short amount of time, isn't that list of people too low-ranking to be able to do something as change the future to that degree? In fact, that's where they should start, shouldn't they?

What changed the future?

Hell, they haven't even asked Reiner for all the details about this new prediction either. Why the hell is Magath so caught up on grilling Eren when they don't have the most important piece of the puzzle?

"Sir, why haven't you asked Reiner for what the changes are in the prediction?" Eren asks.

"Because if Reiner is at the harbor instead of on that island, then there's just one reason for that change. We of Marley are prepared to take on the Colossal-sized titans that Paradis sends our way. So the most important thing to do is figure out what exactly you influenced to change things this much."

A knock on the door interrupts their meeting. One of General Calvi's men is there to remind them that being late to their duty is not an option.

Magath looks a second away from losing his cool at the soldier. But to his credit, he manages to keep calm.

He turns to Eren and points at the ground. "Stay in this room." Then to the rest of the division, he adds, "The rest of us will take turns to stay with him. We'll use the excuse that he's sick. Kruger, you start."

"W-wait a minute!" Eren yells out at the same time Kruger agrees to Magath's order. Eren shoots him a look of betrayal, but Kruger keeps his cool as he always does.

"I wanted to walk around the fair! I wanted to see Dr. Archbard's and Zeke's lecture! Willy said he wanted to meet up. Can't I please leave for just a little bit for those things?"

Magath stares at Eren for a beat longer before turning to the rest of the division. "Make sure that he doesn't go anywhere alone. I don't care if it's to the bathroom. You stick to him and, above all, don't let him meet anyone else."

This is so not how Eren imagined his visit to the technology fair will go.

*

Kruger waits a few minutes after everyone has left before he turns to Eren seriously.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to take me seriously. There's a good chance that Magath will take this chance to kill you."

Eren honestly doesn't know how to react. Kill? What the hell is Kruger talking about? Magath needs Eren to keep changing the predictions. There's no way...

Unless the prediction that Magath wanted to change has been.

And to make sure that the prediction doesn't change again, he's going to-

"From your expression, I assume you've figured it out," Kruger says. "My proposal is simple. Before he kills you, I will."

That's Eren's cue to run.

Kruger grabs Eren by the arm. "Wait, wait, wait. Don't run."

"You said you're going to kill me! Why wouldn't I run?!" Eren yells. He struggles to free his arm, but Kruger's grip tightens.

"Not like that. Did you already forget about my offer to you when we first officially met?"

When they...? Oh. Right. That's when Kruger held a lightbulb over Eren's head and was a total ass to a small child. Who even does that, by the way?

"You're going to 'kill' me and turn me into a 'Marleyan?'" Eren asks.

Kruger relaxes and releases Eren. "Yes. That's it. You've managed to survive this far. Why not longer?"

Oh please. Kruger doesn't suddenly pretend to be the good guy now.

"Aren't you just saying that because the prediction turned unfavorable? If what Magath says is true, then you need me to change it again. Otherwise, the world won't end like you've prepared for."

"Of course. Why would I help a brat like you without something in return?" Kruger says without any sign of shame.

The people of this world doesn't believe in showing the slightest bit of humanity to even a tiny child like Eren, do they?

"If there's any potential problem, it's the current Attack Titan."

Reiner? Eren frowns. Well, that's true. If he did as today and blurts out that the prediction changed, then Magath will know right away that Eren is alive. And? At that point, Magath would gun after him to kill him. It's one thing for the Warrior Division to hear of Eren's death.

But to make them kill him under orders?

"We'll have to loop him in," Eren says.

Kruger's expression is grim. "He's too naive. It'll be too easy to trick him into telling the truth."

Spoken like the true leader of a terrorist organization.

"Can't you just support him from the sidelines and help him out? You've more or less done that for me and Zeke... More for me than Zeke, I guess."

"At least you're aware of it," Kruger mumbles. Then he adds, "Unfortunately, I won't be able to do that for him as I will be with you. What? You think I trust you to behave yourself?"

Couldn't Kruger have phrased that more nicely? He could've said that he wanted to make sure that Eren would always be protected. Or even something sweet like how he wanted to watch Eren grow into an upright young man. That would've been so much cooler than his actual words.

"Don't pout," Kruger snaps.

Eren is totally not pouting, by the way.

"Wait. But if you're going to be with me, and I'm faking my death... Are you like... going to quit the Warrior Division?"

"The neatest way would be to fake my death alongside yours. What was it now? 'I'll kill you if you hurt any one of the Warrior Division?' Just think of it as an extension of that," Kruger says with an amused smirk.

He's such a nasty adult. Why the hell does he have to remember that for?

"But if that doesn't work, I'll use your death as an excuse why I want to be transferred."

They're going to just play by the ear? Eren assumed that Kruger would be the type to plan things out meticulously beforehand. But that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems contrary to Eren. As the leader of the Eldian Restorationists, wouldn't Kruger have to be more careful and thoughtful?

"Well, that's just it. I need to get my resources together first and figure out how best to go about this. Just jumping into action isn't going to be helpful to anyone. Lucky for us, Niko's here. But I doubt it'll be easy even for him to produce a dead body, let alone two, on such a short notice."

"Niko?" Eren echoes.

"Niko Archbard. I believe you're acquainted?"

Arch...? The Marleyan doctor? Wait. If Eren thinks about it, Dr. Archbard did go out of his way to feed Eren delicious pudding. And isn't he also really concerned about how well Grisha is treated? He made it sound like it was because of the medical researches, but Eren is starting to suspect something different.

Is it always like this? If a Marleyan seems rough on the edges but seems determined to help an Eldian, they're actually on Kruger's side? Wait. Now that Eren thinks about it...

"Is he actually a Marleyan?" Eren asks. "Or an Eldian in disguise like you?"

"Disguise," Kruger answers.

That's what Kruger meant by it's easy to fake blood test results. If you had a Marleyan doctor at a giant hospital in Liberio on your side, of course, you'd be that confident. Eren feels like he's been cheated.

"Next, you're going to tell me that he was looking out for me and my family. And that's why he's here to keep an eye on both me and Zeke in case something happens," Eren mumbles.

Kruger dares to look surprised. "You weren't aware? The research Niko is presenting is about you and your brush with death. Why do you think Zeke has been going out of his way to find as much information as he can about it?"

Is that what was happening? Eren just assumed that Zeke was under orders. It was actually because the research was...

"Oh, that's awkward."

"What is?" Kruger asks.

"They're presenting about how I escaped death, but here we are, talking about how we need to fake my death."

Kruger stares blankly at Eren for a second before he covers his face. It takes Eren a second to realize that Kruger's shoulders are shaking.

"Are you seriously laughing at me right now?"

*

A knock and a cheerful "Eren! Let's play!" can be heard from the door.

Eren thinks that it's really unfair of Kruger to give him that stink eye. How the hell was he supposed to know that Willy will make a beeline here?

"Don't make a sound," Kruger warns Eren.

Then Kruger walks over to the door to talk to Willy. From where Eren is, he hears something about how Eren caught a cold and needs to stay away from people right now. Is this how he's to spend the rest of his life? Hidden away in a room like this so that he doesn't accidentally change the future?

He took Magath's stance on letting him be free for granted, didn't he?

And now that freedom is going to come crashing down if he goes along with Kruger or stay here.

There has to be another option that he hasn't considered yet. There has to be something else he can do that isn't choosing Marley or the Eldian Restorationists. There has to be a third option.

But what?

Kruger returns after sending Willy away. He tosses a small bag of treats to Eren.

"It's from that kid. He says he hopes you feel better before we get back to Liberio."

"Will I be released from this room before then?" Eren asks, already knowing the answer.

Kruger smirks. "Nope."

Stupid, sadistic, nasty...

"For now, go along with what Magath says. He shouldn't kill..."

W-what? Why did Kruger stop speaking? What? Did he realize something important?

Kruger curses and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Damn. I forgot to account for the fact that this is Hizuru territory."

How does that relate to this?

"If you die here, Magath can get away with demanding that Hizuru pay for your death. Getting you out of his grasp is the first thing we need to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that he's had some time to calm down a bit, Theo realizes that he might have overreacted quite a bit this morning. 
> 
> He shouldn't have yelled at Eren at the very least. That child reacts poorly to what he believes are "unfair" treatment to himself or those around him. He is doubtlessly plotting ways to make Theo's life miserable right now (if he isn't currently making Kruger's life miserable). He should pick up some treats for that brat while he's out. And he should also return to the hotel as quickly as he can to douse the fire.
> 
> The prediction as Reiner described it, while on the right track, doesn't reveal enough for Theo's liking. He had hoped that he would be able to get a better picture if he figured out exactly who Eren talked to that might have influenced this change. If he knew even that little, he would be able to set things in motion starting now.
> 
> But he supposes it's not like he needs to hurry that much. Reiner's initial prediction put them at a comfortable enough timeline to prepare everything that Theo wants. And with this recent change, it's clear that he will be able to obtain his goal.
> 
> How frustrating.
> 
> His own goals can only be accomplished by the means of using Eldians. 
> 
> But through this, he will make sure to give Marley their pride back.
> 
> For that purpose, he can afford to swallow his own pride and dignity for now.


	24. 120,000 crates of anko on the wall, 120,000 crates... take one down and remind Magath that this is coming out of the Warrior Division's budget...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren has used the word "home" to describe Liberio exactly zero times.
> 
> He'll say something like "Marcel and Porco's home" or "headquarter" or "go back." But the word "home" in regards to the Jaeger Clinic always refused to leave his lips. 
> 
> Marcel doubts the others noticed. Not in the sense that they're stupid or not as observant as him. But in a more "who would normally even notice this kind of a minute detail anyways" kind of way. Because the fact that Marcel noticed at all is kind of weird, isn't it?
> 
> When Eren admitted to having memories of Paradis, it felt like things finally snapped into place. 
> 
> To be incredibly shamelessly honest, Marcel felt relief. 
> 
> It wasn't something they did. It wasn't something they messed up. It was something outside of their control, quite like these titan powers or being born an Eldian. But that means that it's not their fault, so Eren doesn't blame them for this.
> 
> Then to help Eren see them as home, how should Marcel approach this? 
> 
> "Ten should be enough, right?" Marcel asks Bertolt, who nods in agreement. 
> 
> "These are usually in small containers, so ten should be more than enough," Bertolt agrees. "Oh wait. Should we grab some for our Commanders?"
> 
> For Magath and Kruger? Well, this is the division's money. It can't hurt to get some for those two in an effort to appease them. 
> 
> "Then I'll write down 12 here," Marcel says, scribbling down on the order form next to something that looks like "万."
> 
> "Is that where you're supposed to write it?" Bertolt asks with a frown. 
> 
> From how the other people around them were ordering, Marcel's going to assume yes. He probably should have studied up a bit on the Hizuru's native language before they got here. But it's not like he thought that they would be ordering anko outside of the fair area. Oh well. This should be fine, since Marcel is writing down the address for Liberio and the Warrior Division.
> 
> "It'll be fine."

No wonder Kruger thinks that Theo is spoiling that brat of a child so much. Anyone would think so considering just how much shit he bought for that stupid brat.

But surely this much would be enough to convince Eren to stay put for the rest of the trip, right? Theo made sure to grab a diversity of treats and even a few games. It has to be good enough.

"Oh, if it isn't Commander Magath. That's... quite a lot of treats. I didn't realize you had such a sweet tooth," a young lady says as she approaches Theo with a smile.

Unlike Calvi who clearly didn't bother remembering foreign dignitaries as Theo saw last night, Theo knows exactly who she is. Kiyomi Azumabito. The daughter of the current head of Hizuru and also the same person who talked with Eren yesterday. Theo doubts that she has any knowledge or hand in the situation with Kuhn, but she was one of the many people who talked with Eren yesterday. As long as there's a possibility that she's the reason why the prediction changed, he needs to at least keep a polite appearance.

"As odd as it'll sound, it's not for me," Theo admits.

Lady Azumabito lets out a small exclamation and covers her mouth. She stares at Theo for just a second longer than necessary. He bets that she arrived on the wrong conclusion.

"My, what a kind commander you are to get treats for your men."

It's probably fine to leave it there. No need for her to know about the brat of an Eldian who will be given these.

"Are you enjoying the fair?" Theo asks.

"Yes. And you as well?"

Theo nods. "I have no complaints."

Aside from Eren, of course. But that's normal for him at this point.

"I had the chance to talk with your Warriors last night. They're quite charming kids, aren't they?"

Charming? Those brats? What the hell is she talking about? The only thing Theo can think about is Eren waving the lightbulb that he took from the airship during their three days while yelling about how it glowed red. It didn't, by the way. The only reason why it looked like that was because it was inside of a red casing.

"I wouldn't necessarily use the word 'charming.' But I am shocked that you took the time to talk to them. I'm not sure if you're aware, but those kids are Eldians."

He did hear that the Hizurus are fond of Eldians. Perhaps Theo shouldn't have brought that up?

"Eldians or not, they were quite cute. You're lucky that you get to work with children. Do you have time today? If you don't mind, there's a nice place that serves delicious food that I'm sure those kids would enjoy."

It takes Theo a second to catch himself. The culture here is different, he reminds himself. The way that they treat Eldians is different here. Theo better make sure that Eren doesn't find out. Otherwise, that kid is likely to have annoying demands.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline for them. Eren caught a cold and shouldn't be near anyone."

It's such a convenient excuse to keep everyone away. If only Eren himself was more agreeable and would stay in that hotel without further prompt...

"Is that so? That poor child. Could it be? Are these treats for him?"

Damn her. If she realized that, she should have just kept it to herself.

"Do you need medicine? I can recommend a brand, if you need help with reading our language."

"I appreciate the offer, but it's fine. He'll get over it," Theo says.

It's bad enough that he already spent so much money on these treats. If she thinks he'll dip into his savings for that brat even more, then she's crazy.

"Nonsense! If money is the issue, then I shall cover for it. Come, Commander! Let's nurse this poor boy back to health!"

Even without being here, Eren somehow manages to make Theo's life hell.

*

He can't just come out and tell her to leave, because that would be way too rude. But he seriously didn't ask her to buy medicine nor did he ask for her to accompany him back to the hotel. Damn it. Why the hell does societal norms have to be such a pain?

"My, this is one of our best hotels that you're staying at," Lady Azumabito remarks, looking around in the lobby.

That awe in her voice is most definitely directed at the fact that Theo comes across as a stingy person who won't even buy a child cold medicine when he's sick. But Theo will just like to point out that Eren isn't actually sick. Not to mention it's overkill to get Eldians medicine, since they always heal fast from whatever illness on their own without much help.

"Thank you for accompanying me this far. But I'm sure you have other things you'd rather do," Theo begins.

"Making sure that little Eren is okay is more important," comes the pleasant reply. "I'm sure the poor dear is missing a mother figure."

Theo is pretty sure that that kid is more likely to have been cared for by his dad or grandpa. But there's no need to tell her more information than she needs. Instead, he needs to come up with a believable enough reason for her to not follow him.

"Listen..."

A loud scream catches both of their attention. They both glance towards the stairs where people are rushing down, shouting in various foreign languages that Theo can barely make out to mean "Run!"

... Run...?

"What's going on?" Lady Azumabito demands to one of the hotel staff in a sharp tone of voice.

"M-ma'am, it seems there was some kind of a fire upstairs."

A fire? Upstairs? That's a shame. The decor of this place looked to be expensive. But those things are probably insured any...

Wait.

If it's from upstairs, isn't there a chance that Eren started the fire?

Without a second thought, Theo bolts for the stairs.

*

Okay, he probably should have thought this through. Because of the sheer panic of everyone trying to escape down, it's nearly impossible for Theo to try and squeeze upstairs. If there was another way up, then...

He sees a flash of red low to the ground. Red? Like Eren's scarf? Should Theo grab that? But what if it's something completely different from Eren's scarf? It's probably safer for Theo to not grab that. He might accidentally harm the civilians trying to get to safety.

"Commander? What are you doing?" Lady Azumabito calls. "Even if you're worried, you can't try to go upstairs right now. I'm getting some people together to go and rescue Eren."

"My second is with him. So we just need to wait for them to come-"

"Eren!" Kruger yells from top of the stairs. "You damned brat!"

Theo feels cold at the sight of Kruger. It's clear that the fire must have either have been started by Eren or at least near the floor that the two of them were at. Kruger's uniform is charred and... is that blood on Kruger's head? Was he hit when he was trying to get away from the fire? Or, if Theo's assumption that Eren caused this fire is correct, did Eren hit Kruger to get away?

Theo thinks he spots that damned brat run out. It didn't look like he was wearing his uniform or armband, which will make it nearly impossible to find him properly with this crowd.

Damn.

He shouldn't have left Eren alone for so long. He should have told Lady Azumabito off the first chance he got. He should have...

Theo closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then he turns to Lady Azumabito.

"That man up there is my second. Please see to it that he gets medical attention. I'm going to-"

"Wait Commander!" Kruger yells from the top of the stairs.

Does he have information that he needs to get across? But every second Theo wastes here is another second that Eren has to change whatever more of the future. In the same breath, though, isn't it also possible that Kruger knows where Eren is running towards?

Okay. He'll listen to Kruger first.

*

"It's my fault. I let my guard down because he was behaving so well," Kruger reports.

He declines the staff's offer to wipe his blood for him. But he does accept a dishcloth to hold against his bleeding head.

"He caused a small explosion. It didn't seem like his goal was to start a fire, though. He looked genuinely shocked and tried to evacuate as many people as he could while escaping from me."

"Your head injury?" Theo asks.

"Bastard throw a book at my head..."

So it was Eren.

"... so I wouldn't end up stepping into the fire."

Eren, why is it that even your good deeds cause so much trouble?

"Excuse me for overhearing, but should I be concerned that a sick child was able to cause all of this?" Lady Azumabito asks.

Theo recognizes that look on her face. She's silently accusing him of lying without saying it explicitly. But if she thinks that he has the time right now to worry about her, she's mistaken.

"We'll talk about that later. I have a runaway to catch."

"Let's start with Zeke," Kruger suggests. "Eren is most likely to run to his brother."

"You should rest," Theo says.

But Kruger stands, clearly in no mood to listen. Theo won't be shocked if he kicks Eren immediately as a greeting once they capture him.

Oh well. That brat brought it upon himself.

* * *

What a beautiful day it is outside! And with this much commotion coming from the hotel, everyone's eyes will be too locked onto it to realize Eren running off.

This is way too easy! If only he can run like this to a safe place where no one will find him...

But he's not that naive of a child anymore. He knows that there's no such place in this world. Especially not for an Eldian.

The very first place that Kruger will head to is Zeke's, who should be helping out Dr. Archbard. Eren isn't too sure when the lecture is, but seeing that Zeke is already by the doctor's side, it'll probably be happening soon. That should buy Eren some time, assuming Kruger doesn't want to accidentally disturb the lecture.

He doesn't think he'll have enough time to visit everyone else of the Warrior Division, so he's going to have to get smart. The closest pair is Marcel and Bertolt, who should be near the northern sector of the fair. That's where Eren will start.

*

Okay. This is bad.

He can't find Marcel or Bertolt anywhere. So either they were called to the hotel, which would really suck, or they're playing hookie somewhere. Seeing that both of them are good kids, Eren can't imagine the latter. So it has to be that the two of them are being briefed on the fire-explosion that Eren totally didn't cause. He didn't expect for things to catch on fire, okay? Why is that hotel so flammable anyways? It's clearly the fault of the person who built and decorated it.

That leaves either Colt-Reiner-Annie group or Porco-Pieck group.

He needs to talk to Reiner to make sure that Reiner knows not to say anything about predictions changing. So that should be the first priority. But he still hasn't figured out what kind of excuse he can give aside from "Magath wants to kill me, but you guys need to pretend to be good Eldians for him so your families don't get in trouble."

And yes, that is pretty much what's going on, but... Is that really right of him to say things like that?

He recalls Porco's annoyed scowl last night. If he realizes that Eren is thinking like this again, he'll probably get mad, won't he?

With a light laugh, Eren finds himself running towards Porco's location.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Porco starts. "You set off a bomb in the hotel and that caused a fire. In the commotion, you ran away straight to me without your uniform or your armband."

"Ding ding! You're so smart today, Porco!" Eren laughs. He reaches over to pat Porco's shoulder, but Porco isn't quite ready to accept such praise just yet.

"No, shut up. Why the hell do you think Commander Magath of all people is going to kill you? That makes absolutely no sense."

Eren tilts his head for a second and grins widely. "Intuition!"

Porco kicks him in answer. Pieck lets out a heavy sigh and tells both of them to calm down.

"Eren, if we're being honest, if Commander Magath wanted to kill you, he would have done so much earlier."

"But it's the first time he locked me up. It's the first time he reacted that poorly even though my life wasn't in danger. The fact that the future about Paradis changed is a huge deal to him. I think that might have been his end goal, to be honest. He wanted me to get out and see the world as much as possible in hopes that I'll change the Rumbling. Because now that it has changed, he completely changed his tune. What else am I supposed to think?"

Porco hates how much sense that makes.

"No! No, no, no. You are looking way too much into this! Eren, what the fuck? Even if that makes sense, there's no way that that's the truth!" Porco exclaims.

Pieck reminds them to be quiet again. Then she takes a deep breath and turns to Eren.

"Putting aside the obvious problems with your logic, Eren, what are you trying to accomplish by running off like that? Even if you successfully fake your death, where are you going to go? A single blood test will be more than enough to prove that you're an Eldian. At best, they'll lock you up or return you to Magath. At worst, you'll be beaten to death and your family turned into pure titans. There's nowhere in the world you can possibly go to escape."

The grin on Eren's face looks grim and is lacking on his usual charm. So that means even he understands that this is ridiculous, right? He's going to stop kidding around?

"There is one place in the world that an Eldian would be able to escape to."

It takes Porco a second to realize what Eren is talking about. That's probably yet another testament of his stupidity, especially since they talked about this just last night. "Memories of Paradis," Eren had said. Then he would know better than anyone else just what that place is like. Is that why he asked about home? Because he planned on leaving since then?

Is he planning on leaving Porco behind again?

"And how do you plan on getting there? It's not like there's an airship stopping by Paradis every couple months. Not to mention the sheer amount of pure titans that have been placed on that island. How are you going to fend against them? Eren, if your goal is to stay alive, then your plan sucks," Pieck analyzes.

Good thing at least one smart person is here to tell Eren off. Because while Porco would have thought that it was a bad plan, he wouldn't have been able to point out all the flaws like Pieck just did.

By that, he really means that if she wasn't here, he wouldn't have realized Eren's true intentions.

"I'll go with you," Porco says.

Both Pieck and Eren turn to him in confused disbelief.

"Why would you do that...?" Eren asks slowly.

Huh? I-isn't that why Eren came to Porco? Because he wanted Porco to come with him to Paradis? As Pieck said, Eren won't be able to deal with the pure titans that are on that island. So if Porco were to go with him-

"What part of you guys won't be able to get to the island did you not understand?!" Pieck exclaims. She covers her eyes for a second, forcing herself to take a deep breath. Then she turns to them seriously. "Listen, if any of us goes missing, our families..."

Realization dawns on her face. She slowly turns to Eren in disgust.

"You plan on waiting for them to turn our families into pure titans? Then you'll sneak on that ship to-"

"No, no, no," Eren rushes to say, shaking his head frantically. "That's not my plan. I was going to ask Hizuru for help. Besides, they won't suspect my family over my death. Not to mention they're more likely to send the new pure titans to war efforts than to Paradis."

The Hizuru? Why would Eren trust a group of people that they've just met? And what makes him so sure that they'll help him out anyways? Porco doesn't get it.

"By mentioning that Mikasa Ackerman again?" Pieck guesses.

Eren nods.

Ohhhh. That's the plan. Porco still doesn't like it.

"And if they betray you?" Pieck asks. "There's no guarantee that they'll keep their word. Even if they seem like they were interested in this 'Mikasa,' there's no telling when that interest will wane and change. What if they abandon you in the middle of nowhere afterwards? Eren, this plan isn't much better."

"I'll protect him," Porco decides.

"Porco, you're not coming with me," Eren says firmly.

Like hell Eren's going to stop him.

"Don't give me that look. Look, no matter how things are, a Warrior can't disappear. They'll suspect too much if you're gone as well. If I want this to go cleanly, I need you guys to play interference on this end. At the very least, you need to help Reiner cover up if a prediction ends up changing after my 'death.'"

"There's no way that things will go cleanly," Pieck cuts.

"If you guys are on my side, it will."

The sincerity and the surety of those words are almost enough to convince Porco to go along with it.

"If you decide to go through with this without taking me with you, I'm telling Magath," Porco decides.

"Porco, don't go along with it!" Pieck groans.

"I can't take you. Any of you. I need you guys to help out Reiner so that he doesn't accidentally say something that'll give me away," Eren says.

He is yet again ignoring the fact that Pieck found plenty of issues with his original plan to begin with.

"No matter what we say, we won't be able to dissuade you, will we?" Pieck asks softly.

In one second, Eren is giving them a soft smile that looks to Porco like he's crying. In the next, he has fallen down, clutching to his arm.

Bullet? No. There's no sign of blood. A tranquilizer? An arrow? A poisoned dart? They use those in Hizuru, don't they?

The trajectory of whatever that was leads Porco towards a window of a nearby building. Damn it. They were careless. This area was secluded, but they didn't account for the buildings.

"Porco, move the trash cans around us for now," Pieck orders.

Right! He should create a safer zone for them to hide in.

*

"It was a dart," Eren says. "I imagine it was poisoned in some form. So before I lose consciousness, let me reiterate. I want your help."

"Hey, is this really the time for that? You were just attacked," Porco reminds him.

The three huddle behind the trash cans, but Porco doubts this will be enough. This wouldn't deter a more persistent hunter. Except who the hell is aiming for them anyways? Is this part of what Eren said about Magath trying to kill him? But a dart isn't really a Marleyan style of execution. Then is he working with Hizuru? Wouldn't that make Eren's plan of asking Hizuru for help end up in-

"It's possible that it happened because we're bunch of Eldians," Pieck points out. "Eren, for now, let's put aside everything and agree on one thing."

"What's that?"

Pieck grins. "We are the Warrior Division. We don't leave our own behind."

*

They'll probably get into a lot of trouble for shifting without permission. But it's the fastest thing they can think to do to get somewhere that wasn't here. Not to mention this will make sure another attack with darts won't hinder them too much.

Porco and Eren ride on Pieck's Cart as she makes her way through the streets with ease.

"Did you memorize the map of this area as well?" Porco can't help but to ask. "You seem to know exactly where to go."

"Of course, I did!" comes Pieck's grumbling in her titan form. Porco can't get used to the sound of her voice.

"Let's head towards the harbor area. There should be empty warehouses we can borrow for a bit," Eren says.

His voice is starting to sound strained. His breathing has gotten slower, too. Porco wishes he knew what to do to help. But it's not like he can use his titan healing on someone else. If Eren had received a titan instead of him at that time, would Eren be okay now?

"If they're coming after us, this will buy us some time to chase us. But because of how big you are, Pieck, they'll know immediately where you've gone."

"You're going to suggest I drop you off and distract them," Pieck says flatly.

"I'll stay with him," Porco assures her. "It's probably a better idea that you tell... Zeke what's going on."

For just a second, Porco almost said Magath. But that's wrong, right? If Eren's words are correct and Magath really is trying to kill Eren, then he'll use this to his advantage. Since they don't know the truth, they can only rely on those that they can trust.

Ergo, the Eldians of the Warrior Division.

"Porco, I'm going to grab some laundry. You should change out of your uniform. It'll be suspicious," Pieck advises.

That's a good point.

"Got it!"

*

Pieck flings them off in an alleyway and keeps moving so that no one would suspect anything. Even though Porco was prepared for it, it still hurts like hell to land on his back with Eren in his arms.

Eren struggles to stand by himself, so Porco supports him by putting Eren's arm over his shoulder.

"If you can't walk, you need to tell me so I can carry you," Porco warns.

"I-I'm okay. Just... a bit dizzy. C'mon, we should go."

Is he really okay?

"Porco, we need to go."

R-right.

*

Finding an empty warehouse to settle in is the easy part. The hard part is keeping himself from mobbing Eren every few seconds to check up on him. He knows how Eren is about people babying him, but Porco can't help it in this situation, now can he?

"Hey, listen carefully," Eren whispers, pulling Porco close so that he doesn't have to speak too loudly.

The excuse is probably that they don't want to be discovered to be hiding in here. But Porco suspects that Eren is struggling to speak any louder than his current whisper.

"What's going to happen next isn't your fault. It's just all part of the plan, okay?"

The...? Wait, what's he talking about?

"Porco, you and everyone made me love Liberio as my home. So you can bet that we'll see each other again. But until then, can you help me by pretending I'm dead?"

"E-Eren, wai-"

He hears something quite like an egg cracking. It takes a second to realize that the world is tilting. And by the time he realizes that he has been hit, it's too late.

Porco blacks out.

*

"... unfortunate, but this is the best we can do. We can't afford to change our minds now. You understand, don't you?"

"It's not a question of changing our minds. It's the fact that you're going to be injecting me with yet another questionable substance. The last one sucked."

"Just shut up. This will make sure you're properly dead."

His head is throbbing. Head injuries always take too long to heal. But this is important. He can't afford to laze around on the ground. If only he wasn't injured, he could have shifted. Surely, in his titan form, he would have been able to protect Eren?

Why the hell is he still too weak, even though he's a Warrior?

It hurts, but he forces himself to stand.

Eren said that Magath wanted to kill him. So it only stands to reason that it'll include Kruger in that, too. And from the exchange that Porco overheard, there's no doubt about it.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

Why the hell can't he shift?

That would make protecting Eren from these damned Marleyans so much easier. If only this world didn't have any of these filthy Marleyans, then none of this would have happened. Eren's life would never have been in danger. His body would never have been riddled with holes the first time on the battlefield. But again and again, Eren has to keep risking his life for what exactly? For Marleyan profits that they'll never gain from? For Marleyan territory expansion that means nothing to them?

Why the hell do they have to live in this corrupt society, all for something their ancestors did?

"Don't... you dare! Don't you dare touch him!"

He doesn't recognize the sound of his own voice. If it wasn't his own will that was being spoken aloud, he might have believed someone else was fighting for Eren as much as he was.

But as long as Marcel doesn't arrive, that won't be the case.

Porco has to be the one to move to Eren's side to protect him. Because out of everyone, Eren's the most likely to cause trouble, you see. Because that's just what you're supposed to do when you're friends.

He stumbles forward, growling in effort. His body struggles to keep up with his will. But like hell he'll stop here. Not again. He's not going to lose Eren again.

"Porco, stand down!"

Shut up, Eren. Let Porco look cool for once, alright?

"You sure are loved, aren't you, Eren? Remember to thank him."

He hears a loud bang, and he finds himself losing his balance.

The last thing he sees before the world turns black is Eren's face full of distress, yelling out to him.

Ah, he can't help but to think. Their roles changed.

*

According to Marcel, there were five bullets, three in his head and two in his legs.

"You fought to protect Eren the best you could. It isn't your fault. "

It's mocking.

He's supposed to be stronger. He's a Warrior now. But what does he have to show for it? Even the bullet wounds healed and disappeared. All he has is Eren's expression before the world went black. At the end of the day, this is all Porco Galliard will ever amount to.

This is all Porco Galliard will ever be.

A failure.

*

The Warrior Division heads back without General Calvi or Magath on the second day of the technology fair. It sounds like the dart poison is a special Hizuru mix, so Lady Azumabito ordered for full cooperation from the Hizuru side. Magath sounded like he wanted to see through the investigation himself, so he ordered the rest of the Warrior Division to go back to Liberio without him and put Zeke in charge. There were a few more technical and political words that were thrown around, but Porco didn't bother paying attention.

The initial investigation conducted by Magath has concluded that Kruger was planning to kill Eren for a long time now. The explosion that Eren caused was in a desperate attempt to get away from Kruger. And in the end, it wasn't enough.

They don't even have a dead body, but the conclusion "Eren is dead" is drawn because of the state Porco was in and the bloodied scarf left behind.

Eren is...

"Yup, he's alive," Zeke tells the members of the Warrior Division once they're in a secluded location of the airship.

Porco finds it hard to breath. "But what about Kruger? There's no way that he fought off Kruger by himself and-"

"I can't tell you about Kruger's situation due to it not being my story to tell. But rest assured, Kruger is on our side. He volunteered to take the blame and to help hide Eren. So our mission on this end is to continue to grieve as if Eren is dead and to smear Kruger's reputation, which won't be too hard with how he was. Lucky for us, Magath's the type to not rely on predictions, but you'll still have to be on guard, Reiner."

"W-wait, I'm lost. What happened?" Colt says, putting his hand up in the air to ask Zeke to pause.

Zeke gives a patient smile and tells the same thing that Eren told Porco and Pieck. So the reason itself hasn't changed. But the fact that someone is helping Eren changes things a lot. At least the flaws of the plan that Pieck pointed out aren't there anymore. There's probably other things, but right now, Porco is...

"He's... not dead?"

"I'm sure Eren wanted to apologize to you himself, but he can't do that right now. So for now, please take my word instead. I am very sorry that you had to go through that, Porco. But thanks to you, it was much easier to convince Magath that Kruger 'betrayed' us. Thank you for protecting my little brother to the very end."

Eren is not dead.

Porco didn't fail. He protected Eren. He...

His friend is alive.

The embarrassing loud sob is most definitely not from him. He doesn't care what Marcel or Pieck might say later.

He most definitely didn't bawl like a baby.

... Okay, maybe he did just a tiny bit.

* * *

Nearly two years after the previous Attack Titan's prediction of his death, Eren Jaeger is officially pronounced dead.

* * *

"There was no need to shoot him that much," Eren grumbles.

Kruger rolls his eyes. "How long are you going to hold onto that? I told you. Thanks to that, you don't have to pretend to be dead so they can have a body proof. Just say, 'Thank you, Porco,' and leave it at that."

Eren understands the logic behind that, but he still doesn't like it.

"Couldn't you have just shot him once?"

"What part of let it go did you not understand?" Kruger sighs heavily. "Honestly, this is the worst part about you."

"That means you think there's a 'best' part about me," Eren can't help but to needle.

Kruger gives him a look, so Eren shuts up for now.

Still, he didn't think things would go that smoothly. He kept waiting for someone or something to go terribly wrong enough to throw a wrench in this plan. But instead, everything went so perfectly that Eren himself wanted to throw a wrench in it.

Not that he would on purpose, of course.

"And now I'm going to spend until the Rumbling with you, lazying around," Eren sighs.

"Don't be silly. We'll be preparing for the Rumbling on this end. You'll be able to see for yourself first hand just how cool I am as Owl of the Eldian Restorationists."

"The hell you need to be cool for?"

"Because I expect you to take on the leadership role after me. So it's the least I can do to be cool."

... Maybe Eren should have stayed and let Magath kill him instead.

"Oh, that's right. I should also mention." Kruger's smirk taunts Eren of knowing a secret. "If you can realistically figure out a way to change the current status quo of Eldians without using the Rumbling, I'm willing to listen. After all, you are my protégé. It wouldn't be good of me to not hear you out."

Damn this man. Just how far did he plan everything in advance? Did he have all of this mapped out in his head when he first dangled the lightbulb over Eren's head?

"But remember. It has to be realistic. Understand? Realistic."

Hey now, Kruger, don't back down after saying something so cool.

Eren grins. "I'll have you know that the first step of this very realistic plan to change the world requires me to have a lightbulb."

Kruger reaches into his pocket and pulls one out. Then he raises a brow and waits for Eren's move.

Damn.

"W-why do you just have that in your pocket?"

"Insurance."

Staying with Kruger is going to be a pain in the butt, isn't it?

*

"Are you really okay with this?"

What's Kruger asking about now? Eren glances over at him with a scowl.

"Too late to ask that, isn't it?"

Kruger hesitates for a bit before he says, "You won't be able to go back home for a very long time."

How strange.

For the first time since Eren woke up in this world, the word "home" doesn't immediately make him think of Shiganshina but instead of the gentle laughter of his family, the excited yells of the Warrior Division, the light shoulder touches, and the warm hands that ruffled his hair. He should have told them before he left just what they meant to him. Just how important they have all become to him.

"I do have regrets of what I haven't done. But this isn't goodbye forever. As long as I have a way back to them, I'm going to be okay."

Even if he were to go to Paradis Island right now, there's no guarantee that Mikasa and Armin are waiting for him. The people that he held so dear in his own world are not here, cannot be here, will never be here. Even if a version of Armin or Mikasa existed here, they wouldn't be his. Just like how Bertolt, Annie, and Reiner of this world were not traitors.

The Eren of this world told him, didn't he? There is no way back.

But he can return to Liberio.

It might take a very long time. He might have to kill quite a lot of people in the meanwhile. He might want to end up wanting to die because of how much he misses them.

But he can go home.

That alone is enough.

_Fin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He doesn't find anything new in Hizuru in the end. Lady Azumabito does let him know that she'll keep her eyes out for any information. Theo has no doubts now that she is most definitely the reason why Reiner's prediction changed. 
> 
> A day after Theo and Calvi arrives back in Liberio, they hold a funeral for Eren without a body. And for killing Marley's tool, Kruger is declared a traitor with orders to kill if found. Calvi cackles at Theo when he hears. 
> 
> "What a great eye for men you have!"
> 
> It's all so damned grating.
> 
> Calvi's words, the Tybur family's scoffs, the depressed air of the Warrior Division... Damn it. Theo knows that he messed up, alright? He should have taken a bit more of their advice seriously. But how the hell was he supposed to know that a child who was able to defy a death sentence from a predetermined future as well as survive as long as he did with his pranks could actually be killed?
> 
> "Oh, C-Commander," the newly hired person says, looking nervous. 
> 
> What? Was he gossiping before Theo got here? It's fine. Theo's heard it all. That he's an imbecile. He didn't even realize that his second in command (that he fought for, by the way) was a murderer in disguise despite the obvious warning signs. He didn't take the necessary precautions to keep the most important tool of Marley safe. He wasted so much of the division's money for personal reasons.
> 
> "Your crates arrived."
> 
> Theo frowns. "My... what?"
> 
> "Y-your... crates, sir. Your anko crates?"
> 
> What the hell is he talking about?
> 
> "T-the 120,000 crates of anko that you ordered from Hizuru."
> 
> Theo opens his mouth and then closes it. 
> 
> Even in death, it turns out, Eren can somehow manage to make Theo's life hell.
> 
> "G-General Calvi w-wanted me to tell you that t-this is all coming out of the Warrior Division's budget... b-but... this is more than w-what we normally get. S-so... We're in the negatives."
> 
> "How long will we be in the negatives for?" Theo asks slowly.
> 
> "P-probably the next twenty years... if we tightens our belts."
> 
> Theo covers his face and muffles his scream.
> 
> If Eren was alive right now, it wouldn't have been Kruger that killed him.


End file.
